The Artist
by fullmetalgryffindor
Summary: Sasuke's job modeling for an art class brings up painful memories, but brings Itachi to him. Unfortunately, other people have unfriendly eyes on Sasuke.  Sas and Ita are NOT bros in this . Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

Thank you for clicking the link that brought you here! This is yaoi, but for this fic we're pretending the Uchiha brothers are not actually brothers. I love any kind of feedback you want to give, but I do NOT require it to update. I have a lot of family things to deal with and school is my priority, but I will work hard on this and I will finish this.

I do not own these characters and I do not make any money off of this either.

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The tall, ostentatious building loomed high overhead, higher even than the dorms and other department buildings surrounding it. A thousand different things were painted on it; supposedly only the best art students were allowed to paint something onto the art department headquarters when they graduated. There was everything from Star Wars characters to scenes from the Bible to nearly nude women. Although the themes and scenes differed drastically (maybe even to the point of paradox), there was some sort of underlying quality that tied them together, making it look cohesive instead of like a children's finger painting experiment.

Sasuke stared up at the building, his gaze lingering on the scantily dressed women. He wasn't a pervert, and he was gay anyway. What he liked was that they were painted realistically. They didn't look like models out of magazines; in fact he was sure that the brunette near the roof had walked by him a minute ago. All looked confident and proud; their 'flaws'- big noses, or super-round faces, or mouths disproportionately small, or large thighs- seemed to bring out their beauty.

The talent on the building proved the school's reputation: this college claimed some of the best art teachers in the country and most of the graduates went on to promising careers with exhibits nationwide and even in foreign countries. Sasuke wasn't here to study art, however. He needed a job desperately; he couldn't handle living with Naruto much longer, even if they had settled into a friendly friendship instead of their violent rivalry from their high school years. So when he saw the ad in the newspaper for a modeling job that paid easy money to stand and let people look at him he figured it couldn't hurt. The job was only for a few weeks, his name and information would remain unknown, and his own college was far enough away that it seemed nearly impossible for anyone to recognize him. Though Naruto's enthusiastic response to the news made him want to turn down the job after all.

The wintry weather was getting to him through the layers of his long gray coat, so he finally stepped inside to get out of the January cold. He went in through the main doors, trying not to get knocked over by tardy students running to their classes, carrying huge sketchbooks and other art materials. The hallways were painted, too, though it was more haphazard then the outside of the building. He counted the numbers above the doors and stopped at the end of the hallway, pausing outside a classroom with a naked figure painted very realistically onto the door. It was hard to tell what gender the person was because he/she was drawn from a back view and the hair was an in-between length, but either way the person was stunning. It was so detailed that he leaned in closer to look at the shading, to marvel at the precision with which each muscle was done.

He was so intent on admiring the door that he didn't notice someone come up behind him until they spoke. "Beautiful, aren't I?"

Startled, the raven turned and faced a handsome man, maybe in his early thirties, with silver hair and an eye patch. Sasuke stared for a moment, taking in the sudden beauty then looking back at the door. His eyes darted back and forth again before seeing it. Had he been anyone else he would have blushed because the man was obviously naked when the artist did this… and thinking about a man he had just met naked usually was how he got himself into trouble. A weird feeling started working its way into his gut though he wasn't sure why yet. He was getting a bad feeling but brushed that thought away. This was a legitimate job and there was no reason to believe someone would hurt him or take advantage of him here.

"One of my best students did this." The man shifted his one eye from staring at himself admiringly to the boy in front of him. He lazily studied him and the scrutiny from a total stranger made him uncomfortable. Then it looked like he lost interest but his smile was so big that his sole eye was just a happy half moon. "You'll be good for this, Sasuke Uzumaki. They'll like you."

"How do you know who I am?" He scowled, then felt a little silly. Of course this man had to be the professor who placed the job advertisement. Sasuke hated being at a disadvantage when meeting people. "Anyway, I thought that my real name wasn't going to be used."

"I already know all my students and we don't have any visitor requests today so it's obvious you're our subject." He scratched his nose. "What's with black-haired students and attitude problems lately?" The last part was muttered under his breath, but whether it was because he didn't mean for Sasuke to hear it or because of the bright orange book he'd pulled from nowhere and started reading even before he'd finished speaking, the confused raven had no idea. "What name do you want to use instead then? I'm Kakashi, by the way."

'Am I that boring to talk to?' He thought; this guy didn't seem competent, but Kakashi was clearly in charge so maybe he knew what he was doing. He heard loud noises coming from inside the classroom and checked his watch, curious. "I'll use my middle name, Ritsuka. We're five minutes late… shouldn't we go in?" Kakashi kept reading, leaning against the wall. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt; he looked completely unprofessional.

"I guess so. I told the class they'd have fresh meat today so I bet they're excited to meet you." He finally moved and reached past Sasuke to open the door and Sasuke jerked back to avoid contact. He cursed himself in his head for his too-obvious reaction, but he wasn't sure if Kakashi noticed because he was still reading that book, not even watching where he was walking but stepping over bags and avoiding desks and chairs with eerie precision.

The professor led the way into a large classroom and Sasuke followed a few steps behind, the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach growing a bit when he saw all the people that would be drawing him. There were about twenty, most of them were girls. Aside from occasionally being cute, girls were annoying background static. Like white noise. But the few boys that were in the class were good looking. Of course, just when he needed a break from men, potential boyfriends popped up like weeds. It couldn't hurt, he told himself, as long as he only _looked_ at them.

The man sitting near the door was ruggedly handsome. He looked tough but gave off the same vibes as Naruto; a rough attitude with a mean left hook, but a good heart that more often than not disabled it. They even looked similar from the spiky untamed hair down to his outfit of holey jeans and a thick, worn sweatshirt.

Unfortunately, there was some kind of pink-haired monstrosity next to the boy, and the two were definitely friends, so Sasuke resolved not to go near the boy because that pinkness would affect him merely by association. Sasuke would hold hands with his boyfriends in public, but he drew the line at pink.

Right in front of the windows sat a man that looked way older than the rest. His face looked old the way vampires look old without being wrinkly, and his posture was too perfect and he wore dress pants and a button-up shirt. None of the other students were dressed so formally. The sunlight that poured all over the pale-white man had absolutely no affect on his aura. It was like a fog of creepiness was emanating from that area, and it rolled onto Sasuke as soon as he glanced over. Golden eyes glimmered at him and he quickly decided not to look his way ever again. That brief second of eye contact instantly reminded of every horror movie he'd ever seen.

It was in that moment, as he tried to focus back on following Kakashi to the center of the room without tripping over various props, that he saw _him_ sitting in the corner. The man was gorgeous. The man faintly resembled a vampire. The man also looked scarily like himself. This wasn't mere vanity; it was true.

He had dark, all-but-black eyes, heavy lines underneath them that implied too many sleepless nights, and even darker hair just longer than his shoulders held back in a loose ponytail. The darkness of the man's eyes and hair set off skin that was at least as pale as his own. He was a few inches taller than Sasuke and probably wasn't more than three or four years older. The dark beauty's most notable feature was probably… overall hotness. Like cream-in-your-pants hot. If Sasuke wasn't so edgy today he was pretty sure he'd be hard.

He thought he was subtly checking him out, but the taller man _noticed_. Eyes so powerful they burned him locked onto his own so suddenly that he caught his breath. They were scorching, borderline predatory when they looked at him; which made Sasuke remember that after his last boyfriend he needed a break- a really long break- from dating. Reluctantly, and somewhat regretfully, he wrenched his eyes from the burning ones.

The staring match hadn't lasted even five whole seconds, but Sasuke found himself a little embarrassed by such intensity. So he distracted himself by looking at the classroom. It was smaller than he expected, but with high ceilings, skylights, and fancy windows that made it feel bigger. The walls were pure white, probably so the artists wouldn't be distracted by too much visual stimulation. The middle of the classroom had a raised square area that Kakashi was standing on to address his class, who were scattered all around him at their easels. He gestured with his book for Sasuke to stand with him. Sasuke promptly obeyed, a little unnerved by all the eyes on him but he didn't show it.

"Class. Today we're working with my new boyfriend." Sasuke glared at the silver-haired man (who hadn't stopped reading, even to make his announcement) then rolled his eyes. Maybe this would deter the girls that had begun whispering every time they thought Sasuke looked in their direction. The teacher continued to read his book, apparently oblivious to the uproar that began at his bold statement. Sasuke focused on a weird plant just outside the window, trying to ignore them.

"Sensei, how do you always pick up the hot ones?"

"Yeah! You're too old for him anyway!"

"They're not _actually_ dating, idiot! Sensei already has a girlfriend!"

"I'll show you some fun uses for paint in exchange for your number!" Sasuke noticed it was Mr. I-Wish-I-was-tough-but-somehow-I-still-pull-off-good-looking. Sasuke wouldn't have pegged him for being gay.

"Oh knock it off, Kiba! He's not gay!" The girl with the abominable hair had a voice to match it.

"He didn't deny it yet!"

"That's because he's too cool to dignify such a random, idiotic accusation with an actual response, Kiba!"

'Idiotic?' He thought. 'Well, it should be fun to burst her bubble.'

"Ahem." Inexplicably, Kakashi's quiet cough was enough for them all to quiet instantly. "Anyway, so you'll be drawing him."

"What's his name?" The raven was relieved to know he wasn't alone as half the class shivered at the sound of that voice. Kakashi looked at creepy-man with an odd expression. "We should know a little bit about him, right? We'll be seeing him for the next few weeks, after all." The words were perfectly innocent on their own, but the guy's voice could probably turn something like 'pass the salt' into an innuendo.

"Our subject goes by Ritsuka."

"Hey, doesn't he look like Uchiha?" Kiba stage whispered to pinkie. She punched his arm to shush him as the whole class furtively looked to the quiet man in his corner. He shrugged, clearly indifferent and resumed writing out what Sasuke thought looked like math equations in his notebook. "He does look like you." The sensei's voice trailed off a bit, and Sasuke began to wonder what it was about that man that kept people away from him. There was sort of a crater of space around Itachi which no one looked like they wanted to get into… as if behind that handsome face was a mind-eating alien that devoured souls or something. But maybe Sasuke had been watching too much sci-fi lately; another reason to get away from Naruto.

Kakashi tugged on Sasuke's coat sleeve to catch his attention. "I'll need you to get changed."

Sasuke nodded. "Where and into what?" Kakashi brought Sasuke to a screened off area in the back, calling orders for his class to get ready as an afterthought. Once they were behind it, Kakashi started digging through a chest, looking away from his book for only the second time since he'd started reading. "Okay, shirts and pants off." Kakashi turned to another corner to ruffle through a hidden closet, smiling at the weird look he was getting from his temporary employee. "They can't draw you if they can't see you." He taunted.

"The ad said nothing about nudity." The raven did not find the joke funny. Kakashi had remembered his fake name well enough, didn't seem to like creepy-man (brownie points in Sasuke's book) and had discreetly kept from making physical contact, which proved the man was observant if nothing else. But Sasuke would walk out if these sorts of things would be happening. He didn't dislike living with Naruto _that_ much. He was his legal guardian, after all.

"That's true, but to wear this you need to take off your current clothes." The art professor held up a suit on a hanger. Sasuke coughed to hide his awkwardness, waiting until Kakashi turned around before changing. He used the opportunity to check the scars on the back his thigh; they had faded considerably since he checked last.

"Have you ever done this before?" Sasuke paused in fixing his tie, startled by the question but hid the fact. "No. Why?"

"I don't want you to be nervous." In contrast to his flippant mood earlier, the lazy art teacher was being serious. Kakashi had turned back around, making careful eye contact. "If anyone does anything inappropriate let me know." Oh shit. Did that mean that something bad really was going to happen, or did Kakashi somehow know about what he'd just escaped from? "You're my responsibility." He broke the tension easily by winking his one eye at Sasuke. "But have fun with this, alright?"

Sasuke nodded again. Kakashi had eased some of his anxiety, so he felt bold enough to follow the teacher and step out from behind the screen. "Where should I… huh?" He looked about to ask the art Sensei what he should do now, but he was mysteriously gone.

"He disappears like that sometimes." The raven knew who the creepy chuckle belonged to before he looked. The old one was much too close, even for a touchy-feely person. Sasuke attempted an inconspicuous retreat but the man moved as well, staying in the raven's personal bubble. "Come over here so we can see you properly." He grabbed onto Sasuke's wrist without asking. The smaller man shuddered, casually trying to yank his arm away but he was hyper-aware of everyone's eyes on him and he refused to appear weak so he counted his breaths to distract himself, focusing not on the clammy skin on his wrist and allowed himself to be led directly into the beam of light shining down from the skylight. He felt dirty having the man touch him, even something as innocent as his arm, so he was immensely grateful when his wrist was released.

"Oh, Orochimaru, stop hogging him!" The pink girl bounced perkily over, not at all put off by the killer vibes the snake-eyed man was sending out. "No, Sakura," the evil one said smoothly. "You choose to monopolize the last one. Besides," he looked at Sasuke in that gross way, just like his last boyfriend did when he was in that mood. "He has just the body type I have been looking for." Sakura pouted but returned to her seat. Orochimaru gently pulled on Sasuke again, this time getting a better hold and bringing the raven in front of him so he could guide the raven with a hand on his lower back. Sasuke stared straight ahead stoically, ignoring the cold skin on his as much as he could but screaming inside.

But for all the pervert vibes he was beaming out, Orochimaru touched him nowhere else and let go of him completely as soon as they got to the couch that was upon the platform. Sasuke got comfy on the chair, facing the window so he could look outside at the courtyard if he got bored, trying not to wrinkle the fancy navy blue suit too much, and then sat as still as possible. Against his better judgment he couldn't help but sneak a few peeks at Mr. Gorgeous- Uchiha, was it?- when he was pretty sure the man wasn't looking at him. Uchiha seemed to stare at his body a lot, though that could be because he was drawing him… ok, time for new thoughts.

Sasuke relaxed, listening to the quiet scribbling of pencils and the like. Although a few people chatted they kept their voices down so the music that Sasuke had just noticed could be heard. It sounded familiar… maybe Mozart? Beethoven? It wasn't much of a struggle to keep still. He slowly slid his eyes closed, content to have the warm sun on his face and the gentle melody in the background.

He remembered- Moonlight Sonata. Melancholy, but soothing.

The first time he'd heard it was his first time running to Naruto's apartment. Who knew idiots could play the piano? But the rain had been heavy and Sasuke was more concerned about getting away from his angry boyfriend then being protected from the weather. Even now, Sasuke was unsure what he'd done to Kabuto. The man was always so calm and then out of nowhere, hitting him like that…

Naruto's first reaction was embarrassment at getting caught doing something so personal. Of course the second Naruto saw the bruise on his best friend's face he had leapt up, embraced him, and got him all dry and safe again. And after Naruto was done with Kabuto, there were assault charges… even now Sasuke was unclear about how the charges had been mysteriously dropped without himself having to tell his side of the story. But there was a restraining order involved.

Calming. Well, usually. Recently this music drags too many memories back up. He'd have to convince Naruto to learn something else. Not like Sasuke was planning on more panic attacks, but just in case…

After Kabuto, there were three others. They all started out nice enough. Buying him gifts, taking him to fancy restaurants, never pushing the sex issue because they knew about his past, Sasuke had nothing but model boyfriends… at first. Three or four months in, it was like they were transformed into angry, possessive bastards. Sasuke had done what he could, and put off the breakup for as long as he could… but some damage couldn't be undone. The scars on his thigh and back would fade eventually, as would the bruises on his ankles, but as he was right now the only one he stand touching him at all was Naruto and even his best friend had to be careful.

But it didn't matter, because he was away from all that. Naruto protected him like the brother he'd never had, and Sasuke felt safe. Of all his boyfriends the last had been the most controlling, but surely even abusive, psychotic bastards had better things to do than stalk an ex-lover, right?

Today is a good day, and it will only get better from now on. Sasuke decided this. Maybe all of Naruto's positive thinking was sneaking into his own thoughts.

He opened his eyes to enjoy the outside, checking the sky for more snow clouds that could cancel classes tomorrow. He saw movement among the bushes just next to the window and a rather large form. Was it a bear? But bears aren't common in this area, they were scared off by all the students. He squinted a bit to see better, aware he shouldn't shift his expression too much but he had that feeling in his stomach like he had swallowed razor blades and they were churning his insides. The figure shifted again; he was now sure something was there. No, it was much worse than a bear. He met eyes with those of Juugo. He looked like he'd been in a terrific accident; half of his right arm was missing and there were strange gashes across his chest, his baggy shirt and jeans soaked in blood though somehow he had the energy to smile with all his creepy might at his ex, the evil grin growing at seeing Sasuke's reaction.

His mouth slowly fell open in a silent scream of horror, his body rigid as he broke his pose and jumped up, slowly backing away from the windows. What is he doing here? What happened to his face? Did Naruto smash his nose in? But Naruto couldn't have torn off his arm, could he? How did he find me? What does he want with me now? Hasn't he done enough? How can I escape? Why? The torrent of questions and half-formed thoughts of calling Naruto or the police occupied him so he didn't even realize he'd jumped up and started backing away from the window.

"Hey man… you okay?" Sasuke blinked a couple times, and the face he'd seen at the window- thought he'd seen?- was gone. For now, he couldn't seem to get grounded and was sure he wouldn't feel right until he'd talked to his guardian. He sort of registered that the man walking cautiously towards him was the guy who reminded him of Naruto. "Dude, you don't look so good. Is everything alright?"

Sasuke took a deep breath, collecting himself and meant to lie perfectly, say he was fine, but in that moment he closed his eyes and lost himself again. He couldn't get Juugo's face out of his head; the man was burned into his retinas and brought another tightening in his chest.

"I-, it's…" Sasuke choked up, unable to get the words out, that tight feeling in his chest clenching. If he could just calm down then he'd pass it off as a slight stutter, but he could feel a panic attack coming. "I…" his mouth failed him again. The edges of his vision had blurred, were fading… and he was quite light-headed…

The room tipped a bit. He faintly heard a chair scraping against the linoleum floor and footsteps rushing, getting louder, magnifying into the only thing he could hear and he couldn't really see and each breath scraped along his throat like sharp gravel… Strong arms slipped under him and around his waist, keeping him up. The warm body behind him scared him with its abruptness and he tried to fight it, still caught up in the memory of not-long-enough-ago. "Don't touch me!" His voice finally obeyed him, too late and too loud.

"As soon as you relax. This job isn't a good fit for you if you're going to have panic attacks and fall all over the place." That voice was silk rustling against his ear. It was entirely too close… so close he could feel the person's soft breath on his cheek and a muscular chest up against his back and the hands criss-crossing around his midsection. He stopped struggling. He wasn't ready for so much physical contact yet, but this presence was… not unpleasant. The words bugged him, challenged him, but the tone was non-aggressive. He stopped struggling and carefully reregulated his breathing. The man holding him up felt his efforts and chuckled gently into his ear. "Much better, kitten."

He pushed again and was released from the embrace. "What did you call me?" It came out way louder than he thought it would, and he remembered again where he was. 'Dammit.' On his first day, too. Kakashi's hand dropped onto his shoulder protectively and his rescuer released him and took a step back in response. 'When did Kakashi get back in here?' Sasuke's muddled brain wondered.

"Are you alright?" The teacher questioned. The raven nodded, thoroughly embarrassed as he saw almost the entire class had jumped out of their chairs and were all staring at him. Luckily he had grown up with Naruto, which gave him the control to keep the blush off his face. "You nearly passed out. Did you skip breakfast this morning, or was it the heat? They always overdo the heat in this room." Sasuke glanced at his helper and lost his breath. Why did it have to be the hot one who had helped him? Sasuke needed to be single for a while, dammit! Though this should be mortifying enough to deter any man for a while.

Kakashi tightened his grip, and he realized he had to answer to reassure him… or at least the class. Sasuke nodded, but Kakashi knew something was up, anyway. He looked at his rescuer, their eyes met; those intense eyes were looking at him again and it was too much, like the guy was analyzing his soul and weighing whether he was worth the trouble or not.

But the guy covered over his hesitation anyway. "These kinds of things can happen pretty easily. You'll be alright; I'm a certified nurse." He looked back at those eyes. They were telling him to go along with this story for now. But why he was willing to cover for him? Why was this stranger so eager to help? Ideas of being manipulated entered his mind, but he pushed them away. There had to be some good people in the world, right?

He had to look at the art teacher when he answered. "I think I forgot to eat this morning… I was pretty busy." He swallowed and spoke louder, keeping his voice normal to hide his worry that they would find out what a mess he really was. "I just felt dizzy for a moment." He steadily but nervously faced the stunning man who'd made excuses for him and bowed formally. "Thank you." He then bowed to the rest of the class. "I'm sorry for causing such a disturbance."

"Class is over. Everyone out before I change my mind." Kakashi waved the class away to pack up. Only Uchiha stayed on the platform, ushering Sasuke back onto the couch. "Check him, Itachi, would you?" Itachi had already started. Kakashi was eyeing him, supervising his student as he checked Sasuke's pulse. 'Like that'll help.' Sasuke thought. How on earth could having his hand held- even by a really hot guy- help his heart to beat at a normal rate?

"You really didn't eat this morning, did you?" Brightly black eyes were on him, and so close because the guy was bent over to check his pupils. Bright, but deep, like looking into the sea at twilight. There had to be a bottom in the night-sky eyes but he couldn't seem to see it … oh right. They were waiting for an answer.

He sighed. "Not really. There was a lot of stuff going on." Naruto was all that was going on, but that man was a tornado all on his own anyway. He carefully retracted his hand, still uncomfortable with the touch. "But just now was… I just thought I saw something really weird outside."

"Care to elaborate?"

While Sasuke knew the art professor was concerned, he was embarrassed over nearly fainting and therefore somewhat cranky. It was nobody's business but his own. "No." He said firmly, letting his brows knit together. Itachi was staring at him again, assessing his responses. Was he a psychologist as well as a nurse?

"Are you sure you want to continue with this job? Perhaps something else would be better." Itachi looked like he was watching his face for something.

"You mean something less strenuous?" He said with disgust. Something seemed to click in Itachi's expression and Sasuke couldn't make sense of it. It didn't matter, though, because the Uzumaki was determined to stick to his resolution. No dating for a while, no matter how hot those pants made Uchiha look. Or how many muscles he felt when he was being held. "It was a moment of weakness. I'm fine." He stood and walked back behind the panels and changed as quickly as he could.

"As long as it doesn't happen again. Maybe you should get yourself checked out." The professor sounded casually concerned, but the threat of dismissal was still there.

Sasuke came back out in his own clothes again, putting his heavy coat back on and wrapping his scarf tight around his neck. "Right. I'll do that." He said but nobody believed him. By now Itachi was packed up and Kakashi was ready to go as well. They walked out of the building in silence, Sasuke even with his look-alike and his employer trailing behind reading his book once more.

Once in the courtyard Sasuke muttered a goodbye, avoiding eye contact with Itachi who was still subtly checking his balance, color, and breathing rate. He stomach gave a little flip with the thought that this man genuinely cared if he was alright. Recognizing that this could be a dangerous thought, he turned to walk towards the bus stop when Itachi called for him to wait. Sasuke did so without thinking, turning around to watch the man come towards him. Behind that long black hair Sasuke could see Kakashi lingering, walking extremely slowly to the parking lot and glancing back occasionally. Sasuke was a bit touched by how the professor was still trying to protect him even outside the classroom. Not that he needed it.

"Come with me." Itachi boldly reached for Sasuke's upper arm. He reflexively pulled out of the hold and scowled. He didn't care how hot this guy was, he had no right to go touching him and making demands.

"Why should I? I told you, I'm fine." He said, sounding much harsher than he intended. Out in the cold it was easy to see that the taller man was paler then he had first seemed. But the waning sunlight also showed the healthy shine to his hair, the flawlessness of his skin, and the ease with which he carried a large briefcase, backpack, and art bag. With as much sheepishness he could push through his obstinate nature he said, "I already thanked you for helping me."

Itachi adjusted the straps on his backpack. "No, you didn't. Not properly." He replied with equanimity unfazed by Sasuke's apparent ingratitude. That analyzing expression overcame his face again, then he said, "I need to make sure you eat enough after that scare. Come so I can buy you dinner." Sasuke opened his mouth to protest but the older man shut down his argument. "Don't make it a big deal. Come on." He started walking to the parking lot, not even looking to see if Sasuke was following.

Not entirely sure why, Sasuke did follow. There were enough good reasons, such as he was hungry, and he knew better than to say no to free food, and he would rather not take the bus back home, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Kakashi smile and give a little wave which meant this was okay, but none of them were the real reason. He just felt connected to this man. Which was dangerous if the man had the same sexual orientation as himself. He couldn't seem to remind himself enough that he should stay out of a relationship for a couple months or at least until the scars healed. That was embarrassment he wasn't looked forward to revealing to _anyone_. He walked a little faster to walk side-by-side with his companion. Out of the corner of his eye he admired the way he walked so elegantly.

"I promise to minimize physical contact." Itachi said quietly. Sasuke couldn't keep the surprise off his face, but wasn't really sure how to react to that. How much did this man know? Or was he just being really obvious? Maybe this guy was like Sherlock Holmes or House or something. Way too observant.

"Thank you." Sasuke mumbled. One of the corners of Itachi's lips moved up fractionally, which he guessed to mean 'you're welcome'. Uchiha suddenly stopped in front of a black car, popping the trunk and stowing his bags inside. Sasuke tried not to ogle the car, but it was shiny and expensive and definitely _not_ something college students drove. He climbed in the car when Itachi did, once more surprised when he saw the car was spotless and the leather seats were without blemish. What kind of college kid had these standards?

Starting up the car and jacking up the heat, Itachi let the car warm up for a minute. Sasuke had felt barely the slightest bit of unease about going with a man he only met an hour ago to an undefined location, but being alone with him in the car cast a shadow of reality across Sasuke's mind. This man might be merely pretending to be nice. People did things like that all the time. But Kakashi had approved, so maybe Itachi was safe. Itachi turned on his GPS unit and flipped through a few different options before he interrupted his silent meanderings. "Is Panera acceptable?"

Sasuke nodded, strangely reassured that he hadn't chosen a fancy restaurant. This guy could afford someplace expensive, as was clear by his vehicle, but the fact that he offered something simple like Panera could mean that he wasn't trying to impress Sasuke. They pulled out and onto the road. "We'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Oh." Then, "Are we going to the one next to Starbucks?"

"Yes." Itachi adjusted the heat now that it was sufficiently warm in the car. "But you aren't allowed to have any frappuccinos or other nonsense until you've eaten a sandwich or two." His tone was like a brother scolding his younger sibling, something Sasuke couldn't decide if he liked. Naruto had never managed to pull off the tone in-between guardian and friend, but this authoritative mix was comforting in its own way.

"Whatever. You're paying." He played with a string unraveling from his scarf. "Actually, my roommate works there. He's not scheduled today, though." Itachi acknowledged this with a nod.

They were comfortably quiet the rest of the drive, neither being big talkers. They snagged a spot right in the front and as they entered Itachi held the door for him like a gentleman. 'Talk about mixed signals,' he thought. Itachi offered to pay, but they are eating someplace low key, but then Itachi is holding the door, yet he talks to him in a brotherly way. 'Or,' Sasuke thought, 'I could be over-analyzing everything.'

As they waited in line, Sasuke realized something. "We haven't been formally introduced, have we?" He met Itachi's burning eyes and felt a small thrill. Dammit, why was control so difficult around this guy? "I'm Sasuke Uzumaki."

Itachi gave him a weird look, and Sasuke realized his mistake. "No, wait, I mean, I'm really Ritsu- that's not- I'm- oh, fuck it." They moved forward in the line, Sasuke glancing at his shoes and Itachi as impassive as ever. He tried to explain himself without sounding like an idiot. "I just didn't want a bunch of strangers knowing too much." Itachi was looking at the menu, not looking too bothered by Sasuke's revelation of his real name. "You won't tell anyone, right?" Other than occasional expressions, which Sasuke was now thinking were accidental, Itachi's face was stoic so Sasuke could hardly guess what he was thinking.

"Of course not, Sasuke." Another tiny frisson came over him as his name flowed out in that mellifluous voice. "I am Itachi Uchiha. It is a pleasure to meet you." He ushered him up to the register to order first. Itachi doubled Sasuke's dinner before choosing his own.

Itachi paid then brought Sasuke to the seating area, seeking the quietest spot. "Hatake-sensei may seem foolish and incompetent, but I assure you, he is a good man and will keep his promise to take care of you. But you have to take care of yourself, too. He does not like babysitting."

'Was that a joke or not?' Sasuke let the comment go, whichever it was supposed to be. They sat in the back of the store where it was reasonably quiet and no one was near enough to hear them. There were more than a few glances in their direction from the female customers however. "What triggered the panic attack in the studio?"

Sasuke wasn't in the mood to discuss this. "I don't see how that is any of your business." He really did want to be pleasant today, plus Itachi bought him food, but he wanted his personal life to remain private.

Itachi didn't return the scowl. "Shall I tell you about myself, then?" Sasuke knew he was trying to establish a connection to get Sasuke open up to him more so he didn't say anything, curious as he was. Itachi continued nonetheless. "I am 24; I passed the bar exam when I was 17. I worked as s a lawyer at my father's firm for several years. I received my certification as a nurse during that time, at my father's request. Recently my father has been involved in various… things." He told his story with little emotion until this point. "I put up with his doings until I helped a client with different views." A smile hovered around his lips when he said _client_, making Sasuke wonder what brought the emotion from Uchiha. "That man convinced me, through both his words and actions, that the right, no, the _only_ decision was to leave and pursue my own path." He paused. "Anything else you want to know?"

Sasuke shook his head. He did want to know more, but was still feeling a bit uncooperative.

"Tell me a little about you. Where do you go to school? Why did you take this job? What are your parents like?"

The least risky answer at this point was the last question. "I don't have parents. My best friend was able to adopt me because he's older, so I have a legal guardian. I graduated early from high school and started university last year. This job is… I need money to move back out. I can't handle living with my guardian." He thought about what he said after a second. "Well, it's not like he's abusive or anything. He's my best friend but he drives me crazy when we spend a lot of time together."

"Move _back_ out?"

"Yeah. I practically lived with my boyfriends before they started hitting…" The younger man felt the urge to smack himself. He had fallen right into the trap and landed on his face. "Alright, fine. My past relationships are the source of my… incidents. But it's not a big deal. I can handle things on my own now." He was now planning an escape. Soon. Maybe in the next five minutes. It would be easy enough to pretend to get a phone call or go to the bathroom and never come back. He had figured he could at least get through dinner without examining all his issues but Itachi was sharper than he had estimated.

"Hm." Itachi was silent for minute, digesting the information. Sasuke was content to watch the thoughts flicker behind the man's eyes where his emotions hid beneath his stolid face. Interruption seemed to be the theme of today, because three plates were suddenly and loudly dumped on the table. Uzumaki snapped his head up to glare at the person for making a sudden noise, but it softened when he saw who it was. Instead his face eased into a smile, surprised but happy to see his roommate. "Hello, Naruto. I didn't think you were working today."

Sunshine radiated in the smile aimed his way. Itachi looked up at Naruto with an expression Sasuke hadn't seen yet. "I wasn't supposed to, but Kiba called out again. How did the job go? By the way, next time you forget to retrieve the food you pay for, it will just keep sitting there until it gets… cold…" Naruto trailed off when he saw Itachi, and then Naruto smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh! I know you! You were that lawyer that got me out of trouble that one time!" Sasuke felt a smidge of jealousy when Naruto embraced the man, not liking such familiarity with the man he was on-a-date/not-on-a-date with. He did feel better that Itachi didn't quite return the hug.

"Yes, I believe you were the boy who roughed someone up a little too much." Naruto grabbed a chair from one of the other tables and pulled it up to theirs. Itachi took the moment to nudge Sasuke's food towards him until he took the hint and started eating. He hadn't realized it, but he was starving. It was a good thing he had the second sandwich.

Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Heh, well, the bastard had it coming. But how do you two know each other?"

"Sasuke came to model for my art class, but he nearly passed out. I wanted to be certain he ate something. I am guessing you are his legal guardian?" Sasuke affirmed Itachi's question then rolled his eyes at Naruto's alarmed look and hurried to clear his mouth. He would have stopped Itachi had his mouth not been full of deliciousness.

"But I'm fine, it wasn't really anything." Sasuke knew the blonde wanted to ask more but didn't want to bring up all his personal issues in front of a stranger, but Itachi foiled his plans to avoid Naruto's mothering again.

"We were actually just talking about the nature of his panic attacks and how they started."

Naruto got all excited at this news; he sat up straight in his chair and gave Sasuke the 'you're in trouble' look. "You had a panic attack? Sasuke, that's something you should tell me. I'm your legal guardian and your best friend _and_ your roommate. You didn't think that was something I should know?"

Now the brunette felt kind of bad. "I just didn't want to worry you. You have enough going on at the moment." The blonde sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Teme, I would much rather know all the small stuff than have it accumulate into something huge. And seriously, that's what I'm here for." He stole a sip of Sasuke's soda. "What set you off?"

Sasuke stole his drink back. "Juugo." Naruto's face got all dark and murderous. Itachi quietly observed the two, making no comment but analyzing all the same.

"And what the fuck is that good-for-shit son of a bitch doing near you?" His hands were clenched and he looked ready to storm out and deliver some whoop-ass.

"It's alright; I only thought I saw him." Naruto opened his mouth but the brunette knew what he was going to say. "And yes, I'm sure it wasn't really him. We do have a restraining order."

"I know, but I won't feel like you're safe until that mother-fucker is dead. Pardon my language." He zoned out for a few moments while Sasuke finished off his sandwich, starting to wonder just why the imaginary Juugo had looked almost dead. Wishful thinking, perhaps? Naruto then turned to Itachi. "So you took care of him? Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem." Itachi drank the last of his water. "It wasn't severe. He was so insistent on being alright that I wanted to make sure he actually was."

A thought struck Sasuke. "So when you said he helped you, Naruto, was that when you beat Kabuto into the hospital?" He started on his second sandwich, feeling much better. The parts of Itachi's meal that had been left unguarded were slowly and sneakily finding their way into Naruto's mouth.

The older man didn't seem bothered by the theft of his food, but at this question he gave Naruto a pointed look. The blonde chuckled and meekly answered, "No, this was actually about Kimimaro. Bastard had it coming, you now? And I'm pretty sure I heard the universe telling me it was my job to deliver." He laughed at his own joke until he really noticed Itachi's expression. "Ahem. Anyway, I won't be beating Juugo. I forgot- He got busted for drugs."

"Really?" Sasuke honestly couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Juugo using. It wasn't surprising that he was a druggie, though.

Having finished Itachi's meal for him, he stood up to go back to work. "Yeah, he was selling to minors and stuff. It was in the newspaper this morning." Naruto frowned, and Sasuke knew he wasn't going to like this. "So, um, I know you probably didn't, but I know he was pushy, and I mean, I know you, and you wouldn't normally, but I'm not very… I need to be one hundred percent on this, and, um, just… don't get mad, alright?" His pseudo-son looked blankly at him. "I just need to hear you say that you didn't ever use any drugs and that he never forced any on you."

"Are you an idiot?" Naruto looked sort of hurt, and Sasuke considered he had point; Juugo was definitely the type of person to force drugs into his body and he owed his guardian that much. With a sigh, he said, "no, he never tried to get or forced me to take anything. I'm clean."

The sun returned to his friend's face. "Well, I have to get back to work. There's still an hour till closing, and then I have to stay for clean-up. You mind taking this kid home?" He stuck out a thumb to gesture to Sasuke, who resented being called a kid but was more focused on spending more time with Itachi. He liked the man, but he could sense there would be more discussion about his past then he would like.

"Not a problem. Are you still at the same location?" He gathered their dishes to bring them to the trash can. "Unless Sasuke has a problem with it, of course." Great. Itachi's thoughtful, too? Maybe they should go ahead and get married. He's hot, intelligent, has Naruto's approval, and is considerate of other's opinions—what more could Sasuke want?

Naruto blushed a bit. "Yeah, I mean, I guess I should have asked. Is that alright?"

The younger Uzumaki didn't want to cause trouble or make his guardian worry, so he nodded and followed the older man out after giving Naruto a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Finish up the laundry for me, please."

Sasuke sighed as they walked out. He hated doing the laundry, which was why Naruto was supposed to take care of it. "When you said your name was Uzumaki, I wondered if you could be related to Naruto." Itachi looked at the younger man out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out of the parking lot. "He's the one I was talking about."

"What do you mean?" If he could stretch this topic, then they wouldn't discuss his personal life anymore tonight.

"Naruto's case was special. I generally didn't handle assault charges, but he promised there was a good reason for not telling the whole story. I was taught never to trust clients, but, as I'm sure you know, Naruto is different from other people."

"He certainly is." Who could argue with that? In both good and bad ways, his guardian is unique. "When we lived in the orphanage, he used to pull pranks and cause trouble. He was always playing and seemed to take few things seriously. Still, our caretaker favored him, the younger children looked up to him, the older kids respected him, and his grades were almost as high as mine."

"You sound proud."

He thought for a moment. "I guess I am. When I first met Naruto, some teacher was yelling at him, saying a stupid kid like him would never amount to much." The memory was strong: Ebisu-sensei, red-faced from angrily screaming at his fourth grade student. Young Sasuke had peeped in on his way back from the bathroom, awed by the cool expression of determination until his kindergarten teacher noticed him spying. "People like that drive him crazy. And he hates seeing others get picked on."

"And that's why he reacted so violently when someone hurt you." The younger man winced at the change in topic, and Itachi noticed despite his focus on driving. "I know you don't want to talk about this. I won't bring it up anymore, but promise two things."

Uchiha was observant and belonged to that special group of people who had their lives changed by Naruto, so if his conditions were reasonable Sasuke might go along with them. "Maybe."

Itachi heard the stubbornness still present and half-smiled. "If you're not feeling well, you'll tell me first. No more lying about it."

"Alright." It made sense and could save him from embarrassing himself in front of the class further. "What's the second?"

The car stopped and Uzumaki just noticed they'd arrived home already. "Swear to me," he tapped the shorter man's chin to make sure he was paying attention, "you'll stay away from Orochimaru, no matter what."

He snorted. "That won't be a problem, he's creepy." He was startled when Uchiha's eyes flashed for a moment.

"I still need you to promise, regardless of the circumstances, you won't go near him."

"I promise." The raven couldn't figure out what his deal was. But if it made him feel better…

"Alright." Uchiha smiled and the tension was gone, just like that. Sasuke climbed out of the car, fiddling with his keys. "Have a good night," the voice called out from the rolled down car window.

Sasuke looked back at the man in the car and realized all over again how good-looking he was. His refulgent eyes followed his every move as he unlocked his door and stepped inside. "See you Wednesday." As soon as he shut the door he peeped out the window to watch the impressive vehicle pull away. He thought of his vision of Juugo in the art room and the horrific feeling of nearly fainting, but also of his full stomach and the way his chest didn't feel tight when Itachi had touched him. Yeah, today was a good day. And perhaps this job won't be so bad after all.

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Please feel free (but not obligated) to express any opinions, comments, or disparaging remarks. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

The third chapter is in the works, and I believe will be ready by New Year's (European/American, not Chinese). There is probably one more chapter after that, but I may finish at 5 because the pace of the relationship is supposed to be kinda slow.

I do not own there characters or make any money from this. If I did I wouldn't currently be taking out another college loan :(

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Here he was again, hesitating outside the same doorway. There was no doubt this time that this was the classroom he wanted, but on Monday Sasuke had left under awkward circumstances. It was going to be embarrassing to walk and have them all stare at him again, and even though he knew they wouldn't laugh at him, all he could think about was how weak he must have seemed to have a_ panic attack_ on his first day—well, the official story was that he fainted, but still—*_fainting*_ on his first day was mortifying. Walking in just as class was starting should be enough to avoid any awkward sitting-around-and-talking. Then again, the professor had been late to his own class, so perhaps he could arrive late and blame the unreliable bus system or something.

Sasuke would have remained conspicuously hanging around outside the door for the next five minutes if Mr. Tough-as-fluff hadn't shown up. He approached Sasuke cautiously, looking apologetic which was baffling. Sasuke was sure he himself had been the troublemaker in class the other day and was the one who should be sorry. "So, um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said on Monday."

Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"You know, about showing you some fun uses for paint? I was just trying to be funny, and I knew it would bug Sakura so…" Damn. Another good-looking, thoughtful man right in front of him. Singleness would be an impossible state to abide in if fate kept being sadistic. "I'm Kiba, btw. Oh! Sakura's that pink freak." Didn't this guy know that no one used the letter abbreviations in conversations? It made him sound like an idiot. But Sasuke couldn't help smiling, and luckily Kiba knew why. "I'm the only one allowed to call her a pink freak, so don't get any ideas."

"I wasn't planning on talking to her much anyway." Kiba raised his eyebrows. Sasuke figured elaboration would be a good idea so he didn't sound so snobby. "I'm gay, so I'm sure that destroys all the conversation topics she has for the two of us."

Kiba laughed, shifting his bag to his other shoulder. "I'll tell her the news. It'll wipe out any motivation she has to smother you. I'm happily taken though, so don't start thinking about me, okay?" He wiggled his finger at Sasuke, then stared off into the corner with a dopey expression. "My man has the softest hair and the cutest smile, though he's totes into bugs which is pretty much the grossest thing since leopard print, IMO, but he doesn't listen…" He trailed off for a moment. "Speaking of scary things," he lowered his voice to what he obviously thought was a whisper. "I've been wondering—how scared were you the other day?"

Great. So other people were aware of his weakness and were going to pick on him for it. Maybe he should try to get a different job—

"I mean, Orochimaru is creepy, but Uchiha is the scariest guy in the class! And he caught you and everything. Very dramatic. It was almost like he knew it was going to happen."

"Oh yes," He said sarcastically. "Being saved from a painful landing by a handsome older man is my worst nightmare."

Kiba somehow missed the sarcasm and nodded enthusiastically, taking out his cell phone when it beeped at him. "Freaky, right? I totally feel for you, man. Sakura and I are almost positive he's a vampire, cause he's all pale and his eyes are dark and we've never seen him eat anything and when Sakura asked him out he shut her down really harshly and he's really smart and talented vampires are always like that—"

"Whom are you talking about?" A new voice chimed in, though Kiba was too busy "multitasking" by texting while talking, and the voice was similar enough to Sasuke's that the mistake was easy enough to make. Sasuke smiled at the newcomer in greeting, inwardly cringing at the thought that Itachi might have heard Sasuke say he was handsome, but Itachi put his finger over his mouth to communicate silence and stood near Sasuke's side.

"Weren't you paying attention?" He sent the text and closed the phone. "Obviously, I'm still talking about—" he looked up to see Uchiha and changed his topic mid-sentence, "about that guy in those books. You know, the one that sparkles?"

"Hmm." Itachi said. "I thought pre-teen girls were the only ones reading about those kinds of vampires these days." The dark man ignored Kiba's half scared, half angry, and wholly embarrassed expression and turned again to his shorter look-alike. "How are you feeling today, Ritsuka?"

"I'm fine. I had mac 'n cheese for lunch, and Naruto made me some kunai and shuriken for breakfast." He said without thinking.

"He what?" Apparently curiosity beat out Kiba's fear of the Uchiha, because he leapt back into the conversation.

"My guardian is into ninjas and is using me as a guinea pig for some food projects before he brings them to his students. This morning he left breakfast for me in ninja weapon shapes." It was ridiculous, but Naruto's middle school students would love them.

Kiba laughed loudly. "That sounds just like this guy I work with! See, I work at Panera with this guy. He's a little crazy like that, but he always covers for me when he can."

Sasuke gaped. "You mean you're _that_ Kiba? The one that calls out sick nearly every evening?" He'd never actually met any of Naruto's coworkers. Panera was Naruto's second job so he didn't spend much time there. It made sense that the two would get along, though.

"No way! Your Naruto works with me? I can't believe I know him! He's blond, right? And got these gorgeous blue eyes that shine like sunshine? And…" the two men could actually see the pieces put themselves together in Kiba's mind. Sasuke smacked himself on the forehead at revealing, yet again, the one piece of information that pretty much guaranteed his privacy was now gone. Itachi patted his shoulder lightly to comfort him, pulling back before the younger man had a chance to flinch.

The brunette looked at Sasuke carefully. "So… you're really Sasuke Uzumaki then, aren't you?" His voice was quieter than one would expect from looking at him.

"Yes." He crossed his arms and prepared himself. Would he have to bribe this guy for his silence? Or Naruto could threaten him with physical harm…

He nodded. "Okay. I get it. I won't say a word." He winked and checked his madly beeping phone. "Oh shit! Sensei's in there already! This never happens!" Kiba rushed the door, but paused to lean in and mutter to Sasuke, "If you ever need help with anything or," with a meaningful look at Itachi, "anyone, let me know."

He nodded and followed his new friend into the classroom. Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder and shrugged his shoulders with a half smile. He was happy there was someone else in the class he could trust to watch out for him, but Itachi should be the last person people suspect of seeking to harm or deceive others.

As for Itachi, he rolled his eyes and nudged Sasuke's back. "Come on. We've to see what outfit sensei picked out for you today." He entered the room, wondering at how easily his tension had melted away once he'd seen Itachi arriving down the hallway behind Kiba. Even if everyone stared at him in there, he could handle it if this strong man was nearby.

Everyone was setting up her or his drawing materials, so Sasuke looked around for Kakashi, successfully suppressing a shudder when he saw Orochimaru all ready to draw and smiling like a wolf at him, following his every movement with glassy gold eyes.

"Ritsuka! Over here!" Kakashi called from behind the screen. He walked over quickly, eager to begin. The art teacher instructed him to put on the same suit as last time, but to leave off the jacket and roll the sleeves up a bit. "I want you to look like you're in the middle of work and are into it and intense and stuff. So make focused expressions this time, 'kay?" The smile made the lone eye become a crescent moon again, and somehow it made him feel a little more optimistic.

Quickly he changed and went back to the main room, happy to see Kakashi-sensei had stuck around this time even if it was to supervise him and not the class. Instead of a chair on the platform, there was a chair at a desk with papers, books, and files scattered across it. With those props, he really would look like a working businessman. "If you have any homework or books with you, feel free to add them to the props. Just don't move too much."

He had brought a history book he was required to read through for his Thursday morning class, so he brought that from his book bag up to the table and settled the book among the papers so it didn't stick out so much.

"Hey Ritsuka, slouch a bit, will ya?" Kiba called out. "Perfect posture like that is just weird for a kid like you." Thank heavens the moron remembered his alias. Perhaps the artist had used his name to prove he wasn't so much an idiot as he seemed.

"I'm not a kid." He answered grouchily, offended to be called a kid but did as he was asked and slouched a little. "How old do I look?" The question was safe, though Sasuke was a little disconcerted at the sudden familiarity he felt with the group. Kakashi's presence was nice and knowing Kiba was safe helped, but most of his ease, even with more than twenty people watching him intently, came from one particular set of eyes.

"I dunno. Like, seventeen?" Kiba scratched his cheek and accidentally marked his face with the charcoal he was using. He didn't notice, and did it again a second later. Sasuke tried not to laugh as he was the only one who noticed since everyone else was concentrating.

"Hm." Everyone he had met previously thought him to be older than his real age. Sasuke knew he was mature, mostly because of his troublesome childhood. The events over the last two years had definitely made him feel older on top of that.

"What does 'hm' mean? Am I right? I knew it!" He pumped his first in the air in victory, then frowned at the line he unintentionally made on his paper. "Damn." He muttered.

Sakura threw an eraser at him to shut him up. "I can't focus when… you're tal… um, cha… um… something. You know. With words and things…" She mumbled out a barely comprehensible sentence, already back into 'the mode.' Kiba only knew what she meant because he'd hung around her long enough to know she spoke oddly when concentrating.

"You're off by two." Sasuke highly doubted telling his age would give these people enough information to find him on their own. Plus he didn't want people thinking he was that young. It was insulting.

"There's no way you're fifteen." A blond girl near the windows said.

"He's nineteen, idiot!" Half the class laughed at the irony of Kiba dissing someone else's intelligence.

A smooth voice slipped in after the giggles quieted, which disappeared entirely when they realized the quietest man in class was participating in their conversation. "Our professor would not employ someone younger than that because that would mean additional paperwork." Graceful hands never slowed or faltered in their activity though Itachi looked more at his subject than his actual drawing. "Right, Hatake-sensei?"

"Yup. You know me too well, Uchiha." The man had a different book from the other day; this one was a deep red. Though he answered his gaze never left the book in his hands, gently turning a page as he read from his perch on the windowsill. "Ino, you need to draw Ritsuka as he actually is. You can't pretend his clothes aren't there, no matter how well you imagine he looks without them." The raven distracted himself from blushing by wondering how the art professor knew what his students were doing. From the angle Hatake was sitting at and without looking away from his book, there was no way he could actually see what was going on, was there?

"What are you reading?" Orochimaru asked. Sasuke was surprised, because he figured that guy would keep the conversation on the topic of naked men (himself, in particular). Plus the man had gleam in his eyes that indicated he enjoyed humiliating people.

It was a struggle to answer civilly. "The Tao Te Ching. We're currently learning about Lao Tsu in my history class." Maybe he should've kept that a secret, too, though the class was a general requirement and not his major.

"Oh? Where are you taking classes?" If anyone else had asked, it would have sounded like a simple question and not a rapist about to find another victim.

"At a college." He was definitely uncomfortable with this topic and squirmed involuntarily, causing someone to mutter a 'stop moving' to him. He stilled and went back to reading to discourage further conversation between them.

"Very endearing," Orochimaru said, though the tone he used communicated he did not really think so. "I meant which college. Perhaps we've heard of it?" The careful stress of 'we' didn't fool Sasuke, and he was tried to find another way around this without being rude. The boy looked up at the creeper, who was still smiling pseudo-pleasantly, and tried to seem more annoyed than freaked. Luckily, Itachi interrupted.

"Hatake-sensei, could we turn some music on? I've having trouble concentrating." Itachi cut in pointedly, giving Orochimaru the briefest glare, who sent it back with the same ferocity.

"Certainly." As Kakashi fought with the CD player, Sasuke sent his once-again-rescuer the most grateful look he could without others catching on. In return he received a slight nod and something between a smile and an I-told-you-so expression.

Orochimaru alone noticed their wordless exchange. He excused himself from the room under the pretence of needing a drink from the water fountain in the hallway to hide his livid reaction. Uchiha must have worked very quickly to have his claws sunk into the unsuspecting model so soon. Orochimaru just _knew_ that Itachi had poisoned this young man against him, too. Damn gullible teenagers.

It wasn't like Orochimaru didn't know people thought he was creepy, but people should give him the benefit of the doubt. He certainly hadn't hurt Sasuke, though the way things are going it will never be an issue. That's not to say other people won't end up hurting the boy. Poor Sasuke! The child was so blissfully unaware of what Uchiha really was.

The light murmurs between the members of the class helped the time pass more smoothly than Sasuke would have initially guessed. Once the focus was off him (conversationally, anyway) he found it was much easier to sit still. His gaze was naturally drawn to Itachi (Sasuke's eyes ignored him every time he reminded them that there were no exceptions to the no-boyfriend-for-a-while rule) and after he was caught staring for the third time (duh, because Itachi was drawing him. It's not like Itachi was staring because he wanted to) he resumed reading.

History homework was interesting enough; he had one more chapter to read before tomorrow when Kakashi announced that class was over. Slowly, Sasuke rose and stretched. Sitting still wasn't a problem for someone like himself, but it felt nice to move after so long. He almost smiled when he noticed Itachi packing up so slowly it must be intentional. Only the briefest look was needed for Sasuke to understand it was so they could hang out a bit, and since Itachi had promised to abandon the uncomfortable topic, he was looking forward to another conversation.

He swiftly returned to his own clothes but upon reentry to the main classroom he was sorely disappointed to see two lingering students instead of one. No matter how much he disliked Orochimaru, politeness was too ingrained into his personality for him to ignore the older man. The promise from the other night rang loudly in his mind, though.

"Have a good evening, Orochimaru." Itachi said with a fierce look, then dug through his bag. "I look forward to seeing you Friday." Polite to people he clearly hated? Another good point in this man's favor. Could it be possible that Sasuke had found a man without flaws? Impossible. But so far, Itachi was perfect—or at least exactly what he'd been looking for. Forget not dating! The promise had been before he knew someone like Itachi existed in the world. Sasuke decided to seize the next opportunity to hint at what he felt. Paradoxically, the thought made him feel oddly shy and confident at the same time.

Sasuke stood as near as he could to Itachi without looking _too _close before speaking. "Have a good evening, Mr. Orochimaru." Sasuke assumed a farewell was safe. He fiddled with his cell phone so he looked busy and maybe avoid talking to Orochimaru.

A rapist's smile replaced the all-too-interested stare. "No need to be so formal. Forget the 'mister,' if you please." He also sought his keys, but the way he 'missed' looking in his pocket proved he knew where they were. Why didn't Kakashi-sensei stay this time? Any interruption would be welcome.

"I would rather not become too close with anyone here. This is merely a job." In vain he hoped that Orochimaru would ignore how close he was standing to Uchiha (but if he moved farther away, he'd be more likely to run out the room altogether).

"I suppose you don't mean literally." He gestured to Sasuke's hand, which was tugging on the older raven's sleeve. Damn creeper was making him edgy! Nervousness was overriding all his 'no-touchy' policies so he was now nearly clinging to his friend's arm, who searched faster for his keys in response.

The more Orochimaru looked at him, the drier his mouth became and tighter his throat felt. He gripped Itachi's arm harder, hoping the man would find his damn keys already. Such a predatory stare was too reminiscent of everything he was trying to leave behind—he wasn't a piece of meat to be chewed on and spit out, and he wasn't a fuck-toy to be played with and thrown away—but the eyes told him he was, and that's what this man planned to do with him too. The look of intense interest blended into a more concerned one. "Are you alright?"

The raven checked himself, only to realize he was panting slightly and the hand that wasn't clutching his crush's arm was grasping at throat as if it could pull away the restriction that was making it feel tighter. Itachi hadn't been paying attention until then, but the moment he saw he forced Sasuke into the nearest chair.

"Dizzy? Lightheaded? How's your vision? Your hearing?" The rapid fire questions were getting him dizzier, not to mention the dark eyes bright as fire and deep as a ninja's shadow so closely in front of him. The gentle gaze pulled him in, strong to the edge of overwhelming; concern and the need to protect beamed out. And now that Orochimaru wasn't looking at him like a creeper his chest felt normal again. Of course, it helped that Itachi was checking his pulse—the cool hand on his wrist and the pressure were soothing and distracting at the same time.

"I'm fine." He remembered Monday, and elaborated. "Really. My body felt weird because I was sitting for so long and suddenly standing up…" he trailed off, the end of his sentence obvious. Since Itachi was now facing away from the unwelcome observer, he was free to gesture with an eyebrow if Orochimaru was the cause. "So, yeah." Sasuke said it like he was finishing his sentence but also to answer Itachi's unspoken question.

"What's going on? You ok?" Kiba bust in noisily. Even if it was a little late, Sasuke was relieved. The fourth party in the room dissolved the building tension. "No way! You collapsed _again_?" He asked incredulously. He then noticed the other two men staring at him, and realized he needed an excuse for coming back to the room. "I, uh…" he gave Sasuke a questioning look and Sasuke shrugged, unsure what the man wanted.

"I wanted to make sure the kid was ok, cuz I don't trust either of you." Sasuke facepalmed mentally at his bold yet honest statement. At least he'd never have to worry about double motives with this guy, right?

Orochimaru laughed, possibly the last reaction the other three expected. He gracefully went to hold the door open as Sasuke stood to leave, saying with a meaningful glare at Itachi, "I'm the one you should worry about least… Ritsuka."

What was up with that awkward pause? If he was any younger he would have made the 'awkward turtle' gesture.

"I don't care. You both look shady." The two men didn't seem bothered by him, but that's mostly because wise men ignore the words of a fool. "And you," he turned to Sasuke. "Why aren't you more guarded? As jumpy as you've been, I figured you'd be wary." Kiba looked so serious that Sasuke felt bad enough to hold in his laughter at his use of wary. It was a little disturbing, though, to think even the less intelligent members of the class noticed he was skittish.

"Thank you for worrying about him, but he'll be fine, I assure you." The Uchiha jingled his keys to signal to his young friend that he'd found them, and Sasuke readjusted his coat. "I'm good. Honest." He gave a big smile, which while thoroughly out of character for him accomplished the job of getting Kiba to believe him. Especially since Kiba didn't know that the man rarely smiled and as soon as Kiba looked away he had to rub his cheeks. Smiling hurts when you don't practice it regularly.

"Alrighty then. Toodles!" and Kiba ran down the hall, singing 'Bad Romance' at the top of his lungs.

Itachi checked that he had everything before approaching the door, making a point not to acknowledge his classmate's presence. "Your dad asked me to drive you home, so we can leave whenever you're ready." The words were said carefully, both an explanation of why the two of them were so close (still, because Sasuke felt safer walking past the creeper with a hand on Itachi's arm) and a dismissal for Orochimaru to leave them alone. Sasuke gave him a quick bow and said, "Thank you for your concern. I'm all right now," and raced after his crush, too fast to see the dark scowl on Orochimaru's countenance.

"I hope you don't mind, but giving you a ride home was the easiest excuse to get away from that man." The walk to the car was much shorter than last time; they moved briskly to get as far as possible from Orochimaru and into the warmth of the car. The younger man repressed the urge to glance over his shoulder, because he just knew that the creeper man was right behind them. Like the serial killer always was behind the main character in horror movies.

"Not at all." He let himself smile a small smile (his cheeks still hurt from the last one, after all) at the prospect of spending time with this person. "I'm sure Naruto will be happy to see you again." Hopefully his guardian would be a little late today so they could have a bit of alone time. A small part of his brain questioned him about his resolve not to be romantically involved until the scars on his leg disappeared, but it was sucker-punched by the part of him that had decided to pursue Itachi. There was nothing wrong with him so far; the man even had Naruto's approval, which none of his past boyfriends had received and few of his friends had obtained.

"So Naruto teaches now?" The older man asked after a moment. The car rumbled to life and air blasted through the vents, chilly, but still warmer than the air was outside. The students walking home from their classes looked like trains—their breath came out in puffs as they trudged through the parking lot and throughout the campus. "I bet he's in middle school. He's insane enough to handle it."

"Indeed." He replied. "At the beginning of the year the students pretty much hated him, but somewhere along the way they realized they couldn't hate a guy like him." Sasuke's only visit to Naruto's classroom had been disastrous. With the forgotten test papers in his hands, he'd walked into the classroom in time to see his guardian getting yelled at by the principal for scolding [yelling] at a student. Of course there had been other factors and it was justifiable, but that didn't matter because the entire student body wanted to be taught by the teacher that brought them fun food and parties and really understood them and shared their obsession with ninjas. "He's the kind of guy that's impossible to hate truly."

"Hm." He answered, and Sasuke was amused to note that they both 'hm'd often. "Will he be home by the time we arrive?" Sasuke checked the glowing blue numbers of the car clock.

"It's about fifty/fifty. He's supposed to be home by now, but he likes to stay late in case his kids need extra help." Sasuke peeked over in what he hoped was a subtle way to try to ascertain what Itachi thought of that. The man said he was just driving him home, but Sasuke was sure he could convince him to stay for a while.

"Um…" he suddenly noticed that not only had they sped up significantly, they went right past his house. "That was my home back there…" he said, bemused; it didn't seem like the older man would forget where the house was since Itachi had remembered months after visiting Naruto there only once. Sasuke looked at the man, saw his tight expression, and helpfully supplied with an accompanying gesture, "There's a back way up ahead. If you make this next right—"

They zoomed by this too, going further beyond the speed limit, and Itachi's expression darkened further. "We're not going to your house." He replied as he checked his mirrors and played with some of the switches around the stereo— he turned the police scanner to an audible but background-level volume.

A familiar panic started bubbling in Sasuke's stomach. Within the past ten minutes, the older man had shifted from attentive to ignoring him in favor of listening to where the police were. What if this guy wasn't really who he thought he was? What if Naruto was wrong? Or if Itachi had changed since Naruto had last met him?

"Call your guardian. My cell's right here if you don't have yours with you." The older man's black eyes were full of angry fire as he glared into the rearview. 'Oh shit, is this a kidnapping?' He unsteadily took the phone from Itachi's hand; it didn't escape his sharp black eye. "There's nothing to worry about, Sasuke. As long as everything goes just as planned, you won't be harmed." Seemingly for no reason, Itachi changed lanes and starting shifting to the left.

The young Uzumaki figured he could pretend he didn't have his phone and call the police at the first chance he got. He blanked on the number for a moment, and his chest tightened with the thought of telling Naruto the ransom demands. "Are you feeling ill again?" Sasuke nodded, giving his driver a pitiful look. Maybe he could get out of this by making Itachi pity him enough to let him go. The man responded by patting him lightly on the head, mussing his soft hair a bit. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I don't want the *asshole* following us to know where you live. We'll go to my apartment first, just in case don't quite we lose him."

Sasuke's head whipped around as he looked over his shoulder and saw a white SUV trailing behind them at a conspicuous distance. He squinted, thinking it might be too convenient an excuse. He blanched when he saw the driver was indeed Orochimaru, though he was too far away to make out his expression.

Oops. This is *not* a kidnapping. Entirely the opposite—more like a rescue. Thank heavens he hadn't opened his mouth and voiced his suspicions. He immediately felt guilty for mistrusting Uchiha.

"Watch out" was the muttered warning Itachi gave before jumping a lane of traffic and executing a sharp turn, and Sasuke accidentally head-butted his shoulder and reflexively let the cell phone in his hand go. Uchiha caught it—without looking— using ninja-like reflexes as he executed another turn into a tight back road. "You might want to face forward." Itachi sounded amused, but was still looking angrily behind them through the mirrors. He handed Sasuke his phone again, and he took it more shakily than the first time. He focused on dialing the number to keep from thinking about why he was being stalked by a creeper he'd met only two days ago. "Deep breaths, kitten." The 'kitten' opened his mouth to spew protests except Naruto picked up the phone.

"Do the next problem and I'll look over it, ok?" Naruto had answered, but sounded far away as he was obviously talking to a student. His voice grew even louder as the blonde focused on the phone. "What's up? You didn't have any problems today at work, did you? I can be there in ten minutes—"

"No, I'm fine." He wanted to roll his eyes at the automatic 'worry mode' his guardian went into but hearing Naruto's voice stabilized his growing panic level. "Itachi and I are heading over to his place for a bit…" he trailed off, catching the driver's attention with a poke to his elbow. He covered the speaker with his thumb and whispered, "What am I supposed to tell him?"

"The truth." He answered with an unspoken 'duh.' They were travelling at the speed limit now, passing through a couple quiet streets that Sasuke recognized. They weren't all that far from his own home.

"I am not telling him I have a stalker. He'll make me quit!" His voice was strained from frustration and wanting to shout, as well as annoyance that his companion was not cooperating.

"Sasuke? You still there?"

"Yeah. The phone must have cut out." He looked at his companion again, then went with his gut. "I said, I invited Itachi to eat dinner with us tonight but he wanted to check in on his cat first at his apartment." He twitched in response when a hand gripping the steering flinched at that, then figured it was because he'd given such a silly reason. "I wanted to make sure that was ok with you."

"It's your night to make dinner, so as long as you don't mind I'm all for it." Sasuke heard the student asking something, and Naruto sighed. "I hate to cut this short, but I've gotta focus here."

"You know how to focus?" Poking fun at Naruto was normal behavior; plus his guardian was distracted so he was less likely to notice the leftover panic with sarcasm in his tone.

"Shut up. See ya later."

Sasuke hung up and placed the phone in the hand that Uchiha outstretched across the center console. Instead, he tipped the phone into his lap and took a firm hold of Sasuke's hand. The boy blushed and tried to tug it away but Itachi arranged his grip so it was snug and he had thumb pressed against his wrist. "I know you're uncomfortable, but please bear with me. I'd like you to answer some questions. Why wouldn't you tell Naruto the truth?"

Great. More uncomfortable talking in addition to unexpected, somewhat overwhelming physical contact. "I thought you weren't going to ask things like this?"

"No, I agreed to let discussions of your past stay where they are unless you bring them up. This is happening right now, and I need to know you have a decent reason for deceiving your guardian." He paused a moment to look Sasuke in the eye. "If I'll be lying to him to cover for you, I want to know why I should."

"I need some way to be independent, and if he finds out there's been more trouble he'll make me quit. I'm sure you've noticed, but with the way I am around people," he hesitated, half out of embarrassment and the other half shame, "most other jobs are difficult because I'd be working with tons of people all the time. A job like this is easier. In theory." He added, because so far it had *not* been easier.

"I understand this is important to you. However, don't you feel the danger you're in?" His voice rose slightly, notes of anger intertwining with sincere concern. "If I hadn't been there, or suppose Kiba hadn't come back, that pervert could have gotten you." His hand tightened further at the mention of the man, and all of Sasuke's annoyance towards Uchiha disappeared. Aside from Naruto, it was beyond his memory the last time anyone genuinely cared for his well-being. If it was Itachi, perhaps things could be different—there might be a chance for them to work out.

"I guess if…" however, he didn't want to admit such feelings to the man yet. He was gorgeous, sophisticated, intelligent, sensitive yet manly—for all he knew, Itachi could be happily attached to someone. He wasn't sure if Itachi was gay, and even then Sasuke didn't know if the older man found him attractive, or dated younger guys, or wanted a relationship. And on top of all that, Sasuke had anxiety, intimacy, and self-esteem issues of his own to work out that his crush knew about so there was very little reason for Itachi to be interested in him *_that way_* at all. "I can defend myself. Naruto signed me up for some karate classes in high school." Such a small fib couldn't hurt; the last thing he needed was Itachi thinking he was defenseless to any old man that felt like raping him.

"I can tell when you're lying, by the way." Immediately, Sasuke felt stupid for thinking that the older man was holding his hand out of affection; the thumb on his wrist was obviously monitoring his pulse. "I don't mean to imply you're weak or any less capable as an adult or a man. Nevertheless, when I caught you the other day I noticed your lack of serious muscle. Additionally, you have the disadvantage in height and weight, and your strength is hindered by your habit of sleeping less than you should."

The assessment bothered Sasuke though it didn't surprise him since the man already proved his powers of observation. Itachi gave him a brief moment to argue the point, but the younger man knew it was the truth so he let it go. "If it came to a fight, Orochimaru would win from the sheer size difference. Plus he's stronger than he looks." Uzumaki was touched that the man analyzed his chances since the motive was clearly to see if he could protect himself. Still, he didn't want to declare the main reason he felt safe with him though he had a feeling Itachi would get it out of him sooner or later.

"It's true I could have been in trouble, and if I had been alone I would have been careful to leave with the others, or ask Naruto to come pick me up. But Kakashi-sensei promised to look after me too, and he only left because he trusts you, and Naruto trusts you, and …I trust you. When you're with me, I don't feel like I'm in danger. When you touch me, I don't get freaked out like I do with everyone else. And every time you're near me, my mind calms and it's nothing can get to me." Damn. That sounded too much like a confession.

Luckily, the answer was enough. Uchiha even had a hint of a smile around his mouth, his grip changing. "I suppose I can't skip class now, knowing it's my job to keep you safe." He teased a bit, and Sasuke's heart fluttered at the full smile sent his way. "So how did you know about my cat?"

"What?" This was puzzling and felt out of nowhere, though he was distracted from answering when they finally pulled into a parking lot and Itachi released his grip to park the car. Sasuke instantly missed the warmth. He climbed out and grabbed his things, continuing, "You told Naruto I was going back to take care of my cat, but I haven't told anyone about him. How did you know?"

Sasuke followed him to a door on the first floor, surprised. "I just made that up. I didn't realize there was any truth to it." He watched Itachi's ponytail swaying back and forth with each confident step, trying to synthesize the little information he knew but couldn't make a definitive assessment of Uchiha or his character. Still, Uchiha simply didn't seem like a cat person.

"He might pounce on you. Careful." He nodded and followed him inside. It was neat and spacious; the walls were light and the furniture dark though the colors were muted enough to avoid a stark contrast, the overall picture tastefully quiet. There was at least one bookshelf against every wall and they were all crammed with books about a plethora of topics, plus a great deal of old literature, a few pieces of modern fiction, and the occasional DVD. Portraits, landscapes, a bit of photography mixed in here and there… artworks of every sort covered any wall space not occupied by bookshelves or windows. The owner's passion for art was clear to see, and if Sasuke wasn't mistaken there were a few originals mixed in. The living room merged with the eating area and into the kitchen, all with new appliances and furniture, which reminded Sasuke that Itachi had indeed been a lawyer and a very good one at that. Off to the side was a short hallway with three doors, closed too far to see into.

"Here." He turned around and the man pushed his hands out of the way to undo his scarf for him. "About two weeks ago, the little beast had gotten into my garbage. I shooed him away but that only provoked him to attempt a break-in." Sasuke's skin tingled where Itachi's fingers brushed against him; along his neck as he untied the cloth, even against his chin as the older man gently nudged it up to get to the zipper on the brunette's coat. "When I noticed him back on my doorstep five days later, I figured 'why not?'"

Sasuke would have felt like a child if anyone else was doing this (especially Naruto), but with this man, he just felt like he was being taken care of. It was nice. "So long as he behaves, I've no reason to kick him out. He's entertaining." The garments were placed in the closet near the door, and Itachi gave him free reign to look around or sit as he pleased. "Just don't start thinking I'm one of those sissy men that girls fantasize about," he warned with an accompanying finger-waggle. "I helped the little beast because doing the right thing is more important than perceptions."

"I wasn't going to say anything about it." He couldn't, however, conceal the giggle or the unspoken words 'but I was *thinking* it.'

To avoid Itachi's slightly annoyed expression, Sasuke satisfied his curiosity by looking at the titles of the books; had their owner really read them all? "Would like a hot drink?" The boy nodded, and Itachi moved to the kitchen. The man was graceful in all his movements; his soft steps across the apartment, the slender hand that grasped the cabinet and pulled it open, his muscles even showed through his just-the-right-amount-of-tight pants and his midriff peeked out as he reached for the higher shelves. Long arms—muscled, but not obscenely—extended, and slim fingers wrapped around the handles of the mug.

So enthralled was Sasuke in watching the man's simplest movements that Itachi had to ask a second time "tea or hot chocolate?" Sasuke pretended he was mulling over the decision in a lame cover for his silence. "Um… I guess… tea. I'm not picky about flavor, so whatever you have is fine with me."

That definitely didn't fool Itachi, but the man didn't comment on his staring. He resumed scanning book titles, relieved that when Itachi handed him his drink he was too busy looking around distractedly to notice the traces of pink still scattered on his face.

"Please, sit down and relax." He ushered his guest onto a comfy couch but didn't sit down himself. "I have to see for myself that this kitten isn't in any mischief before we go." The man checked under the table and around the chair. "Excuse me," he murmured pleasantly as he purposely leaned over Sasuke to check behind the couch, with a hand gently placed on the younger man's shoulder for balance. He smiled inwardly at the startled look he received as he straightened and headed for the doors in the hallway. There was just enough space for a kitten to slide through, and he had a feeling that's where the troublemaker was. "He likes to play hide and seek. Well, he *_thinks_* I'm playing." He muttered.

"I was wondering about that, actually." He sipped his drink, remembering the nickname his crush had called him when they met. "Why did you call me 'kitten?' I've never thought of myself as catlike."

He heard a chuckle from the other room and frowned. What was so funny? "You have similar personalities."

"You'd only just met me. How could you have known that?"

"Because—dammit Sasuke!" The boy on the couch jumped at the shout and carefully set his cup down on the coffee table. He stood and tugged at the hem of his shirt nervously, wondering how he messed up this time. He hadn't even gone in that room, but clearly something was his fault. "What is wrong with you?" He didn't know what it was, but if Itachi didn't want to go through the trouble of driving him home, he was fairly certain he lived close enough to walk. He was about to suggest that course of action when Itachi came out with a small dark grey cat in his arms. It struggled, but not against his owner—the rubber bands tangled around his paws were the source of his distress. He meowed at the newcomer in his territory.

"Do you mind holding Sasuke? I have to find scissors." He gathered Sasuke's hands with his own and deposited the kitten into his arms. With a soft push on the shorter man's shoulders to urge him to sit down, he went back to the kitchen to search for a tool of feline liberation.

"You meant… the cat. Of course." He muttered to himself, embarrassed that for the second time in the today, he had assumed the worst and been proven soundly wrong. He felt like a complete idiot for suspecting his crush of evil so easily. The cat blinked up at him owlishly and meowed again. Sasuke rubbed his ear; it was pretty cute, but he still wasn't sure what they had in common.

"It's in your eyes, really." Itachi continued. "You both have this proud, defiant spark. Unfortunately," the man returned to the couch and sat very close to Sasuke, legs brushing together as he carefully got hold of the rubber bands wound tightly around the tiny paws. The cat meowed again but wisely didn't resist. "The spark is muted—repressed, stained, damaged," he said the words carefully, looking Sasuke in the eye. "It's a look so forlorn, I can hardly stifle the urge smother you with love, to pull you in close and protect you from the world." The rubber bands fell away with a few snips, and the kitten instantly tried to tackle his owner. His claws got stuck in Itachi's sweater and he clung helplessly (though too stubborn to consider meowing for help); the man was too focused on Sasuke's reaction to notice.

It was hard to move, to think. He could be wrong, but he was pretty sure Itachi had just said he liked him. It felt so sudden! So unexpected, the idea of another person—especially somebody who was good and kind—genuinely wanting him, to *protect* him, and on top of that, to discover it was the selfsame person he'd been becoming to like and desire—all this compressed into a moment, so that he sat there with a shocked expression and completely still.

When Itachi sensed he wasn't going to answer he assumed the worst. He knew he should have held himself back more, at least until the younger man knew him better. This had been one of the few times he gave into his impulses, and now he may have lost his chance. "I'm sorry for being so forward." Hopefully he hadn't scared him off, jumpy as he was—he'd say anything to keep the man from hating him. "I won't say things like that anymore. I'll stay away from you from now on if that would make you more comfortable—"

"No!" The word burst forth finally. "No, I also... feel that…" Because of his past, how he had been treated too badly, it was impossible to rush into this; yet stronger than the memories of pain and betrayal was the feeling that he wanted Itachi more than he'd wanted anything. He wanted... he swallowed, shakily initiating physical contact with a hand on Itachi's, light as butterfly landing on a flower—but contact nonetheless. "I want to be protected, held, loved. By you." He took a deep breath; this was it; rejection must surely await the following statements. "But I am damaged, there's no way around that. You deserve the best, and I'm nowhere near that." His throat tightened to the pain sure to come. "So if you don't—I mean, if I'm not—I could never hold it against you if—I wish I wasn't like this—" he cut himself off, unable to continue.

Itachi frowned heavily. "Don't think of yourself like that," he said, guiding their hands to his mouth and placing a firm kiss on the back of Sasuke's hand. "Regardless of any physical or emotional or *_any_* kind of issue, you are more than that. I didn't mean to offend you or imply that you're damaged or less than anyone else. However you are, you're more than enough for me. I want you." The kitten finally freed himself, pouncing on Sasuke next, startling a chuckle out of him and momentarily derailing their conversation.

Uzumaki smiled at the ball of fur, using both his hands to pick it up under its arms and bring it to his eye level. "How did he get his name, anyway?" He raised an eyebrow, not ready to assume the cat was named after himself because of hidden, creepy, stalker-like tendencies.

"My mother," he answered with a sigh, a mixture of love, strained patience, and bitterness. "Her day to sneak over here was a few days after I let him in. She thought he was adorable and insisted on naming him, since I'd been referring to him as 'kitten' up to that point." He frowned again, going quiet. The cat fidgeted and Sasuke let him back down on the couch, but the little one turned and made himself comfortable on his lap.

Quiet wasn't unusual, but Sasuke wasn't familiar with bitterness in the older man's expression. Generally the sophisticated features were vaguely amused or deep in concentration, but the far-off expression and frustrated undertone were obvious signs there was a problem. "What's wrong?" He asked tentatively, not sure if it was his place to ask nor if his crush would be willing to share.

"There's a bit of a story to this, but I'd rather you hear it from me than from anyone else." He handed Sasuke his mug again and paused, tapping his finger against the coffee table a few times as he organized the relevant pieces of information into a proper story. "I guess I should have told you these things before I told you how I felt about you. It's not too late to back out now," he said, trying to hide his reluctance.

Sasuke shook his head vehemently. "Your history won't change my mind. I'm in no position to make judgments." He was a little bit offended, and Itachi saw this and explained himself.

"I only mentioned it because you may become involved, too. Almost definitely, in fact. I'll do everything I can to keep them away from you," he said earnestly, "but I have to admit there's a chance that they'll try to harass you in order to get to me. It's unpleasant and people have backed out before. You deserve the same opportunity, and I wouldn't think any less of you for it. So please hear me out."

He paused, tracing a few stripes on the couch with his slender finger, then began.

"When I was born, complications occurred that kept my mother from having another child. After her third miscarriage, my father decided to have an affair." He subconsciously rubbed an eye like he was trying to stay awake, the action replaying with the memory of peeking through cracks of doors at night to listen to conversations and looking up the word 'adultery' in the dictionary the next morning. "Mother wanted to adopt and went to every orphanage in the state, but father declared his heir had to be of his blood. And so my half-brother was born. Naturally, my jealous uncle said the child was illegitimate and therefore couldn't takeover in the event of my death. Though since mother 's inability to reproduce was backed up with medical records and it was not my father's, the head of our family's fault, my half-brother was voted legitimate within the circumstances." He spoke about it casually, but resentment stirred deep within the words.

"All that... for his company? For money?" It was hard to believe such things happened outside of movies and novels.

"My father broke my mother's heart and screwed with her sanity was to have—in his words—a 'backup son.' Anyway, the mistress was given money and sent away since she had fulfilled her duty. Father kept the child in our house to monitor his progress. Mother couldn't look at the child that her husband cared about more than her, though to her credit she tried. Barely a month passed before she was prescribed medication. I hated father for what he'd done; for the child himself, he was like a robot. He didn't react to anything… other than following orders, he would merely sit and stare.

"Fortunately," he said in a tone that indicated he meant the exact opposite, "father's second son was as smart as the first and excelled in everything. Uchiha Son® 2.0. Father's favorite part— this son followed orders." No bitterness now; a slight smirk appeared instead. "Eventually I became aware of the things father did with the company under the table, thanks to your guardian. I gave my father an ultimatum. When he claimed I could never do anything on my own since all I'd accomplished was because of him, I left and took only what I had earned without him."

He smiled fondly in the direction of the door. "Except for the car. It may be childish, but I knew taking the company's car would bother him. He won't try to take it back, either, because he doesn't want to bring any attention to the fact that I'm still alive. He's been telling his associates that I'm more or less dead. Mother visits (though I'm sure it's to maintain her sanity while having to live with that man) but she has to sneak over, faking receipts for the spa to do it. As for the name of this little monster," said too affectionately to be taken as a serious sentiment, "mother said had she not miscarried, her next son would have been named Sasuke. It's really too bad she won't have the chance.

"Here's the part that affects you: my half-brother has been after me since he became aware of his illegitimate status. His attempts were pathetic then and even now he'll try silly pranks just to remind me that he's where I used to be. I would pity him if he weren't such a bastard." A certain small smile flashed across Itachi's mouth, and the younger man found it difficult not to smile with him. "Pun intended, of course. My past relationships fell apart when they had enough of his juvenile nonsense. Perhaps it's intimidating to know he's the kind of man that will sue you over made up charges and get away with it.

"I guess I should have told you before, so you would know what you're getting yourself into. You can still change your mind."

As much as he wanted to respond with a vehement 'no, I'll never change my mind!' he respected his crush enough to consider seriously all he'd said. There was enough complexity, strife, and mayhem in his life. And for the past few years his boyfriends were the source of so many problems.

Yet: this man here was forthcoming, honest, intelligent, caring, kind-hearted but firm, and speaking of firm Itachi's muscles were very nice…

And Sasuke physically shook his head to refocus. Lusty thoughts aside, he could find no reason to suppress his desire ('to be near this man' the rational part argued. his lusty side kicked the rational half in the shin). "I couldn't abandon you for something like that. You won't change my mind. Anyway, you're much too nice. You didn't have to tell me any of this." Maybe if he knew how awesome he was, he'd quit the silly notion and realize how far above Sasuke he was.

"Nice?" The raising of an eyebrow never looked so sexy. "You have misunderstood me. I most certainly am not 'nice.'"

He loomed over the younger man, and several variants of 'oh shit' ran through Sasuke's head. The cat scurried away and Itachi slowly pushed him down flat on the couch. "You've known me for less than a week; the little you've found out about me came from myself and for all you know I've been lying. Your guardian might have said something, but I could have easily deceived him. He hasn't seen me in a while, plus I kept trying to charge him my outrageous fees to represent him in court."

Sasuke tried his hardest to look unaffected. he hadn't been touched so much by anyone for quite some time and squashing down his panic took every ounce of effort he had; forget processing the sudden—or, according to Itachi, *not* sudden—personality change. His every retreat backwards was matched by Itachi moving forwards, until Sasuke's head bumped into the armrest and Itachi settled over him, lightly enough so he could breathe but too heavily for him to escape easily.

"And on top of that," he chuckled lowly, "rather, on top of *you,* since the first second I saw you I've been calculating how to best get you into my bed." He looked down at the man he'd pinned, just smirking, before it fell off his face and he moved away suddenly. He sat with his elbows on his knees and his head bowed, long hair covering his face.

Blink. Blink. The image before him didn't change. "Um…" Sasuke cautiously sat up, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

"You're the one who's too nice." The older man's concerned glare caught him off guard. "You didn't fight back, even though I pushed you and you were clearly uncomfortable." He rose from the couch, bringing the mug over and washing it out. "By the way, you're supposed to be yelling at me and storming out right now." His young crush was still sitting on the couch, somewhere between bewilderment and enlightenment. "You need to be mean sometimes, otherwise you'll get trampled."

A glance at the clock persuaded Itachi they should leave, and he said so. They made their way to the door, and Itachi aided his guest in putting his winter gear back on. Though not sure why, Sasuke allowed this. His scarf was carefully adjusted for him, and he looked up to thank him for the tea. Itachi was studying his face—as if he wanted to say something, if the twitch of his lip was anything to go by—and the hand at his neck drifted up slowly to rest on the side of his face. He knew instinctually why Itachi was getting closer, but somehow his body didn't react to stop him. Quick and hard, he kissed him, holding him tightly for a minute before licking Sasuke's lips with the tip of his tongue as pulled away. "I can't seem to help myself around you."

"I…um…" that had been pleasant. However…

"Ow!" Itachi was more startled than hurt. He touched his cheek, though he knew the redness would go away in a moment.

"You told me to be mean sometimes. And as good as that was, I'm not ready for that yet." He responded defensively. He pushed the guilt away from himself. He was justified, and the remnants of remorse dissipated when the man smiled at him.

"You're right. I'll try to restrain myself." He ushered Sasuke outside after double checking the cat couldn't get into anything else. "So you're making me dinner tonight?"

They climbed into the car, and Uzumaki nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty good, and I can make whatever you want."

"Whatever you feel like is fine."

The silence stretched out and fell on them like a blanket. They were tons of things Sasuke wanted still to ask, things about his family and his interests and all sorts of things, but for now he was content to sit and enjoy the silence.

Day five of work. That was all? Sasuke checked the calendar on his phone to be sure before he slipped it into his bag, since the outfit Kakashi had him in today had no pockets. It seemed like he'd been doing this job for much longer than that, but when he counted he really was only on his fifth outfit. The soccer uniform shorts, when worn correctly, came very close to showing the scars that weren't fading as quickly as he would like. Maybe he should switch to a different ointment. For now, though, he scooted down the shorts until he was sure they couldn't be seen. If they were just some random slashes he could have made up a plausible story for the marks. But Juugo—bastard that he was—had carved into his thigh either the word 'snake' or 'ekans.' It was hard to tell, since snake made more sense as a word but Juugo loved Pokémon more than any grown man should.

"You done back there, hot stuff?"

"I'll be right there, idiot." One of the main reasons Sasuke felt he'd been here so long was how quickly he'd grown accustomed to the class. Everyone (including Orochimaru) had been friendly and polite, and most were easy to talk to. He'd allowed himself to become involved with them since they seemed to an optimistic (if at times too idealistic) bunch; they had managed to get him to join in on conversations. Quite impressive. So by now it was second nature to walk in the doors and to catch up with what the students had been doing during the days they didn't see each other, to listen to them discuss other teachers and tests, to chime in, and to shoot insults at Kiba. Classes at his college had nothing like the family atmosphere, and he'd admitted to Naruto that if he wasn't so paranoid about people knowing his real name and stalking him, he'd transfer to this university for the environment alone.

It was routine by now to get on the platform, find a comfortable position, and listen to the music and conversation.

"So, like, Bianca totally is better! She's all sweet and innocent but then Kate's just going around being mean to everyone, just cause they like Bianca better. I mean, tying her sister up for no reason! Kate's such a bitch." Sakura said, popping bubblegum that matched her hair in color.

"Kate's supposed to come across as mean. It's called 'The Taming of the Shrew' after all."

"Yeah, and Bianca's not innocent. Did you even read the footnotes, pinkie? Half her lines have sexual subtext."

"Of course I did!" Kiba shot her a doubtful look that Sakura ignored. "And Patrick is way too good for Kate, even if she isn't as bad as all the other characters say she is."

"Anyhow, why is she such a shrew? People don't turn bad without a reason."

"It's the nature versus nurture argument, isn't it? We don't know what happened before the play, so we can't tell either way. I think she's always been like that, and I can't understand why people feel bad for her."

"What I don't get is how you don't feel for her. Nobody wants to marry her, her dad clearly favors her sister, and now she's got the pressure of her sister's happiness hanging over her head. If you were in that situation I doubt you'd be much different." One of the quieter girls, Hinata, said. It was a mystery how she could speak so softly, yet everyone always heard her and listened to what she said.

"Society wasn't kind to women then, either, so her father was actually looking out for her by making sure she was married." Sasuke hadn't read it, but he was familiar with it enough.

"Yeah, he's got a point. Though it doesn't justify how her dad didn't say anything to the guys calling her a devil and making innuendos and shit right in front of her."

"What do you think, Itachi? You've read the play before, I bet." Kiba asked.

The man looked surprised they were seeking his input. It'd only been a week since they'd involved him in their conversations, and this was the first time they'd asked him a question directly. "I'd have to say it's a combination. Kate was probably unruly by nature, but her father didn't know how to handle her, her mother was as absent, and the other sibling was clearly favored—I think it's mostly the circumstances, but she was definitely born with spirit."

"Yeah! That makes sense. Plus, at the end, she was quite changed so I think it was more like she became what she would have been and wanted to be, once she got over her stubbornness and pride. Good thing someone came along that wanted to change her." Ino added, sounding much smarter than her blond hair implied.

"Patrick was motivated by money, not really changing her, so that counts against him even if he is super hot."

"Except—wait a second, did you say Patrick? And hot? Well, Heath Ledger is really hot—but you never read the play at all, did you?"

"So what? I didn't have time."

"So get out of the discussion. If you don't actually know the play then you aren't helping. We'll have to talk about something else, cause I don't want you stealing all our ideas for your paper again. You didn't do the work, so you shouldn't reap the benefits."

Sakura looked pretty upset, but Kiba was there to handle it so the rest of the class tuned them out, not wanting to get involved in the massive drama that followed the pair everywhere.

The main conversation revived, turning towards the unfairness of a certain teacher's tests, and since neither topic was interesting to Sasuke he gazed out the window, careful not to move his head too much.

Class was over before the subject was exhausted, and students were still trickling out the door by the time he was done changing back into his regular clothes. Nearly out of habit, he walked over to his crush and smiled. "I'm ready when you are." He thought of all the possibilities—maybe they could watch a movie or something, and then he'd attempt to continue the kiss Itachi started the other day. He'd been feeling so much better lately that he figured he could at least try it and if he didn't panic, well, there were other things they could do…

The man looked up and frowned. "I actually won't be able to take you home today. I have to meet with my study group, and then I have to meet with another group to work on a project due next week. Maybe next time," he poked his forehead gently, "Sasuke," he whispered so no one could hear his name.

"No, it's fine." His fake smile jumped into place without his permission, but he let it stay there. No need to make the man feel bad, especially when he was being selfish. Of course he had a life outside of him.

The man frowned in response. "Don't think for even one second that you're fooling me. I do appreciate the effort, but I prefer honesty." All his things assembled, he made for the door and held it open. "I can at least walk you to the bus stop." They left, walking suspiciously close to each other, not giving the slightest attention to the tall man hiding behind a pillar. He followed them at a safe distance, ducking into alcoves at times when he might be seen. The oblivious pair laughed lightly; they stopped, and the older man grabbed Sasuke's hand and placed a kiss on it. The younger man smiled as he blushed faintly, waved to his departing companion, then continued the few feet to the bus stop. Waiting until Itachi's car left the lot, he approached Sasuke, who was checking his watch. A snowflake fell on his nose, and he crinkled and brushed it away. Cute.

"Hello there." Orochimaru didn't appreciate how startled the young man was, and he most certainly did not like the half-fearful, half-glare he received. The boy was, of course, polite enough to cover it as soon as possible and adopted a friendly, if guarded, mask. Not much better, but at least it seemed possible that Sasuke would listen to what he had to say.

For his part, Sasuke was freaking out; yet while he waited for his panic level to rise and become unbearable, it stayed at a surprisingly normal level. It wasn't because he wasn't approached by the creeper in a public place and thought the openness of the location would protect him, though he was grateful for that; he had been much calmer since meeting Itachi and attributed his (relative) calm to that. That's not to say he wasn't prepared to run or fight if the situation called for it. "Hello. How are you?" He finally responded, then gave himself a mental smack. Asking questions will only engage conversation, and that should be avoided—but too late now.

Orochimaru smiled, and somehow it didn't look as creepy as it did before. Maybe it was the lighting. "I'm well. I hope you're doing fine? No more panic attacks?—excuse me, fainting spells?" He corrected himself. He smiled a little wider at the alarmed expression he received. "To the untrained eye you may have nearly fainted, but I've seen panic attacks before. But my purpose now isn't to make you uncomfortable. I'm trying to ascertain that you are indeed alright."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be alright. Itachi's a friend of my father's, so he's been watching out for me." He replied stiffly. He was miffed his reaction the first day had been seen through by yet another person, even more irked that the one person who seemed like either a serial killer or a rapist had caught on from the beginning.

"I'm glad to hear that. I must confess though, that I have a secondary reason for stopping you here. I wouldn't feel right knowing that nobody warned you."

"About what?" Sasuke meant to ignore Orochimaru, really he did, but his curiosity was piqued. Maybe this would explain was he was trying to follow him home the other day. And strangely, those golden eyes didn't seem so glassy. They were kind of cool looking...

"I fear that you won't like what I have to say." He sat down on the bench, subtly glancing down the street to check for the bus. Impulsively, Sasuke joined him (with plenty of space between them, naturally). "Itachi is more dangerous than you think. He's been hiding things, things about his family. Sooner or later it'll get to you."

The young man relaxed. So that's what this is about. "Does this have to do with his controlling father or his vengeful brother? He's told me about both already." He tried to avoid looking smug at Orochimaru's disturbed reaction.

"He… told you?" His disappointment was so heavy he slouched a bit, breaking his perfect posture.

"Yes. He felt being honest was best, and I agreed."

"I… am grateful, then." He definitely didn't sound it. "I still advise you to be cautious around him. Merely knowing the danger you could be in might not be enough."

Genuine appreciation grew, and he briefly touched the man's shoulder. If Orochimaru was a creeper, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to warn him. People shouldn't judge each other by appearances, Naruto always said. "Thank you." He heard the screech of the bus brakes, and stood. "I'll see you later." Waved, and smiled naively.

He stepped onto the bus, paid the fare, and sat down at a window seat. Orochimaru was still sitting on the bench, smiling gently. The bus drove away, and Orochimaru could hardly wait until the vehicle was out of sight before walking away with his smirk hidden by his long dark hair.

Once he got home, Sasuke changed into his last pair of sweatpants with a sigh. Looks like it's his turn to do laundry again. He threw in as much as would fit and dug around in the cabinets until he found something that only had to be heated. After his Spaghetti O's were ready, he settled on the couch with his books to complete his homework for tomorrow. it was only when he was halfway through his book when he realized he hadn't taken in a single word, and that all his thoughts were fluctuating between boyfriends past and the possibilities of the future.

He'd been hurt, badly, but moving past it was becoming easier everyday he spent with his new boyfriend. He smiled at the thought of the word—Itachi had referred to him as his boyfriend for the first time today, and it still made him want to giggle like a child that figured out how to open the cookie jar. Musing over the fun things they could do next time he came over, he carelessly spilt the rest of his meal on his sweatpants. "Damn," he cursed, took them off, and put them in the wash machine. It was time to start the next load anyway. Now to put on a different pair… oh. Right. All his other pants were either soaking wet and in the dryer, wet and in the washer, or dirty and unwearable. Most of his shorts were in the attic, and the few pairs he kept in his closet weren't worth digging out. He'd just put on new pants when they were dry and use a blanket in the meantime. Naruto had no tolerance for cold so the house was always toasty, but Sasuke didn't like having his scars visible. His guardian was more sensitive about it then he was, considering Naruto believed it to be a failure on his part to protect his friend, and it made them both feel awkward. But whatever. He had homework to do.

His devotion to his schoolwork lasted nearly twenty minutes before he laid down on the couch to get comfy. He was only reading, so it was fine. When he started getting sleepy, he rolled over, hoping that he wouldn't fall asleep if he lay on his stomach since it was uncomfortable. Logic defeated him not too much later, and he slept for two hours or so, until his guardian came home.

Naruto is the kind of person that never does anything or goes anywhere quietly. It makes it easy to find him if you lose track of him in a supermarket, but if you're the kind of person who might be cranky when you wake up, then smashing his head in is something to fantasize about occasionally. With a groan, Sasuke grabbed a pillow and put it over his head, not realizing the motion moved the blanket enough to reveal the uppermost letter scars. "Shut up, Naruto! You're so loud."

"Hey! Aren't you even worried about why I'm home so late?" He dumped his stuff at the door then turned to their guest. "You can have a seat, if you'd like. Once he gets over being grumpy from his nap, I'm sure he'll be happy to socialize." Sasuke heard noises, but didn't care. Probably another student that needed extra help, though every now and then students had home problems and needed a place to stay—and the bleeding heart that he was, Naruto invariably offered his own home.

Instead of the dip of the couch cushions like he expected, Sasuke felt a warm hand slowly pull the book from where it dangled from his own and place it on the table. Another hand reached down to be delicately placed on his exposed thigh, and a deep voice said his name. He froze; his breath stilled. Slowly he lifted the pillow, and as he expected Itachi was there. And he can see the scars.

For some reason Sasuke wasn't freaking out—possibly because there wasn't pity in the dark eyes studying him. Anger, yes, and frustration, but not pity. The deciding factor was ultimately the unconcealed desire. It took him by surprise, and it must have showed because he received a sexy smirk and a squeeze from the hand still on his leg in return. The younger man nearly darted forward to kiss the lips so close, but Naruto fell over something in the kitchen and ruined the moment. He sighed. "So what's up? Actually, what are you doing here?" Both he and his man moved; Itachi sat next to him on the couch, sitting sideways so he could see over the back of the couch and into the kitchen where Naruto was while Sasuke focused on sitting up, covering himself with the blanket again, and getting the sleep out of his eyes.

"That would be my fault, Sasuke." Uzumaki picked himself up off the floor and reentered the living room. "Hey, shouldn't you put on some pants?" The glare he got in return explained everything. "Oh. Sorry. I forgot to do wash before I left—but I'm making dinner right now." The annoyed look didn't leave completely, so the blond threw the towel he was drying his hands with at his 'son.' "Your face will get stuck that way." He chuckled as he returned to the kitchen, talking louder so they could still hear him. "My car wouldn't start, and no one else could bring me home. Not even Gaara."

The blanket became a makeshift toga, and Sasuke ventured into the laundry closet for clothes from the dryer. "How is he? I haven't seen him since he started his student-teaching."

"Quiet as ever, but once he gets in front of the class you'd never think he ever had a problem with public speaking. Anyhow, the kids love him, and he's going to be great. You staying for dinner?" He asked their guest.

The Uchiha reluctantly shook his head. "I have to get back to my group. They're useless without me." If anyone else had said it, it would have sounded like bragging. But neither Uzumaki doubted that it was the truth. He hadn't taken off his coat or shoes, so he stood and waved to Naruto as he ran around the kitchen. "Let me know if you need a ride again. And when you call the car shop, make sure you tell Graham Specter that I sent you—that should get you a nice discount, and he does good work. Just ignore anything else he says, since he's more or less insane." Naruto nodded, said his goodbyes, then returned all his focus to cooking.

Sasuke walked him the few feet to the door. He checked quickly to see if Naruto was looking, then gave Itachi a swift kiss. "Don't tease me." The taller man grumbled, but he didn't really look like he minded. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow, alright?" Sasuke nodded, dismissing the fleeting thought that he should tell Itachi about the conversation he'd had with Orochimaru. It had been harmless, and there was no need to worry his boyfriend unnecessarily.

"Sure. Goodnight!" The sound of the door shutting was loud in the sudden silence.

"Soooooo." He heard from the kitchen. "Did you get your homework done?"

"Enough," he replied with an accompanying eye roll. "I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"You'll always be that cute little kid to me. I miss how adorable you were. Why can't you go back to following me around?" He laughed. "It'd be creepy if you did that now. How's your job?"

"It's fine. And yours?"

"Oh, you know. Most precious little terrors I'll ever meet." He paused and thought—two actions that rarely combined, least of all with the furrowed eyebrows and slight frown. "I've been wondering… um," the blond paused again. "Are your… scars faded?"

He sighed. "Not yet. They're better, though. And I haven't had any nightmares recently. No panic attacks either." Talking about serious stuff happened rarely since neither of them liked it, so they were generally as honest about it as possible so they could talk about other stuff. "I may or may not have, um, met someone."

Most people didn't think Naruto could glare, and really, he couldn't, though this came close. "Tell me you're being careful."

"I am. And we're… not quite official. But don't worry, because he's different from the others, even different from other people in general. He's got a comforting vibe, and I make sure I'm taking all the necessary precautions."

"Are you going that fast?" He asked, looking quite alarmed.

"What?"

"If you already are playing with—wait, when you say 'vibe' you mean—"

"No! I mean like he has a good aura, like being around him is peaceful." He punched Naruto's shoulder as he left his seat to get drinks for them both and set them on the table. "You're not mad, are you?" Sasuke faced the other direction. Sometimes he hated how much Naruto's opinion mattered to him. He wasn't expecting the hug from behind.

"Of course not. I'm only worried about you. I want you to be happy, so…" he shrugged. "But if anything happens, I'm going to put a tracking device in your brain and do background checks on everyone you meet. If I ever let you out of the house again." There were the jokes again, and any tension hanging around became vapor in the wind. "I wouldn't ever be able to do that, though. It's not your fault, none of it. Nothing that has happened so far has been because you did something wrong, so you shouldn't be punished." He let his best friend go to stop the timer from beeping. "Dinner's ready."

"Hey, after dinner, will you play for me?" The request was a rare one, but Sasuke knew that asking would make his guardian happy. It had been awhile since he last had a chance to sit at the piano, after all.

"Sure." Sunshine leapt out of his smile.

888

Any comments welcome. Thank you for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

I cannot even begin to apologize for the delay. A horrendous amount of work has come between me and my writing, and I hate that I couldn't do anything to stop it. between a full class schedule, at least 15 hours a week at work, and at least 15 every week towards community service, any extra time I've got is pretty much useless because most of my brain is dried up and my creative abilities get low.

And these characters! About five different ones suddenly pushed their way into my story and decided they wanted their part even though it wasn't in my plan at all, and it's gotten to the point that I'm not sure this is my story anymore. Luckily I've managed to coax them into behaving.

However, the chapter I've been working on so very slowly—as you all have felt—is here. Sort of, anyway. I'm not happy with some of the wording, so there's a 60% chance it will change slightly when I post the next one (which will be within the next month or so, cause the next one is in the editing phase). The official chapter 3 was supposed to be about twenty pages longer, but those pages aren't ready yet and I figure I can post them into the next one.

So please don't hate me, don't get mad, just know that I've been pulling twelve and thirteen hour days four or five times a week, and that I'm posting this between homework and sleeping and sacrificing much needed snooze time. But I'm feeling pretty sick today so it's ok if I don't make awesome choices.

Anyway, I've loved every review I've gotten (I even got my first real flame the other day! Though it was just a copy & paste thing, since she posted it on both my stories. That was a bit disappointing, cause I figured the reviewer would at least hate enough to hate properly but whatevs) and they really brightened my day and I read them when I worked on this so hopefully any questions you have are answered here and if not it will be when this story is over.

So read, if you please, and enjoy!

888

DING-DONG.

DING-DONG.

"Go away." Sasuke mumbled into his pillow. Again, the doorbell rang. Gradually his sleep drunk mind realized that Naruto had already left for work. He peeked an eye open, and indeed, sunlight was stabbing through the cracks of his blinds. He groaned again. Why did morning always feel so early? He looked at the clock, and saw that it was later than he thought. He had about half an hour to get ready for class; not a problem if Naruto left him some breakfast.

He tumbled out of bed, already forgetting what awoke him, and straightened the blankets enough so that it looked made. After a few minutes of fighting with a lump in the blanket, he realized it was one of his schoolbooks. Oh yeah… he hadn't finished reading the chapter last night. He'd wrap up the reading while on the bus.

Still wiping the sleep from his eyes, he dragged himself into the hallway, intent on going to the bathroom to rinse his face—then he might be awake enough to function properly. But luckily for him, seeing the man sitting at his table woke him up sufficiently. Some sort of question tumbled out of his mouth, but general surprise was all that his mumblings communicated.

"How have you been?" Neji smiled calmly, familiar with sleepy Sasuke's fails at speech.

"I haven't—you were—how'd you get in?" The questions fought to get out of his mouth, each trying to be first.

His dark eyebrow rose at the relatively calm reaction. At the very least he'd expected his friend to yell or fall over. "Naruto told me where the hidden key was the last time you overslept." He shut his cell phone. "I was just getting ready to call you, since I thought waking you up personally might startle you unnecessarily."

"Good call—hahaha, oh, Naruto's puns are getting inside my head." He rubbed his eyes to clear them a bit. Neji was still sitting at his kitchen table, as if they hadn't not seen each other for a couple weeks. It kicked in then, and he went over to the table. Neji stood as he approached, slightly concerned, and Sasuke gave him a hug and started talking quickly, now that he was properly awake. "How was London? When did your flight come in? Was Hinata all right?" He pulled back and started looking for some food, not noticing at all how stunned his friend currently was. Since Neji was here, Sasuke knew he'd have a ride to school and cutting out the bus time meant he had time to sit and eat.

"You know, you have so much work to make up. You're lucky you're dad's the president, because I don't think professor Ebisu would let you otherwise."

Having located and obtained the cereal, he sat down at the table to eat. After a few bites, he looked up. "What's the matter?"

Neji sat down heavily. "I could be wrong…"

"I should get that statement on record." Sasuke muttered between crunches.

"—but I think you just hugged me."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "So?" Then he thought about it.

Oh. _Right_. Last Neji had seen him, he'd been quite different. He'd gotten his job after his friend had left to take care of his cousin, so the changes would seem sudden to him.

"You must have an amazing therapist, or super strong drugs."

"Hey!" He kicked at his shin. "I know you're kidding, but come on. Drugs and therapy aren't always the answer."

"What was your answer? I'm hoping it isn't violence."

"Violence is never the answer. Violence is the question, and the answer is always yes."

"You apply it well enough," he rubbed his shin, "but I don't think it suits your personality." And considering what violence had been done to him, it sometimes surprised Neji that his best friend could still be rough every now and then. But only sometimes. Most of the time, it was easy enough to explain away by the mere fact that Sasuke was male, regardless of his sexual orientation. "If not therapy or drugs or violence, then what?"

Sasuke swallowed carefully. Of all the people involved in his life, Neji had been the one who took his decision to remain single for a while most seriously. Logical minded as he was, the man had reasoned that if boyfriends bring trouble, and you don't want trouble, don't have a boyfriend. While excited about Itachi, eager for Neji to meet him, he knew Neji would be frustrated at first.

"Less of a 'what' and more of a… who."

Neji blinked. "Is all that sci-fi getting inside your head? Has Naruto made you watch Doctor Who? Next you'll start carrying bananas everywhere and telling strangers on the street 'don't blink.' Though this actually means that you were helped by a doctor, and I don't mind being right." He smirked.

"Sure you don't, but that's not what I meant." His breakfast was done, so he put his dishes in the dishwasher and went into the other room to change. Neji stayed at the table. Sasuke may have given him a hug, but one unusual action did not mean he would be ok with people watching him change. From what he'd gathered by listening to conversations between the "father-son" duo, he knew the last ex-boyfriend had given him some kind of scarring, though he wasn't one to push the issue, so he never asked to see it and therefore didn't want to risk upsetting his friend by accidentally coming across it.

Sasuke grabbed some clothes from the closet, choosing his words meticulously. He spoke loud enough for Neji to hear him in the other room. "Just after you left, I found a job in the newspaper; it doesn't pay a lot but I need to start saving if I want my own place. All I have to do is sit and let people draw me. So far, I've worn a few suits and a football uniform. It's easy."

He paused. This was the tricky part. "Except on the first day, I had a… moment, and I thought I saw Juugo."

"A… moment." It was clear he understood that euphemism. "Which one was he?"

"The last one."

"Oh." There was complete silence for a minute as Sasuke searched for his comfortable jeans, which were apparently in hiding. Seems they didn't like the bitterly cold weather, either. "And then? What happened?"

"Well, he wasn't really there, but it shook me up a bit. Luckily, one of the students is a nurse and covered for me in front of the class and made sure I was all right. We went to grab dinner, since this person insisted I eat something, and then we ran into Naruto. Apparently, this person helped Naruto back when he beat up… hmm, I can't remember which one. I think it was Kabuto."

"I see."

"Yeah, so it's—"

"You like him, don't you?"

Sasuke froze, one sock half on. "What?"

"You needed help, some guy stepped in, and now you're trying to keep me from becoming annoyed with you."

Sasuke nodded, forgetting that Neji was in the kitchen. There was silence for a few minutes, and Sasuke let it sit. Neji would speak when he was sure of what he wanted to say.

A glance at the clock shifted the topic. "Well, I'll certainly be annoyed with you if you don't hurry up. We really might be late if you keep taking your time like this." A glance at the clock showed his friend was right, and he hurriedly stuffed his books in his backpack, slipped into his shoes, and grabbed his coat and scarf, zipping, buttoning, and tying as he walked out. He glanced around to make sure everything was turned off and that the timed light was plugged in, hitting the button for the stereo so it would seem less empty. Classes didn't end until late, and Naruto only beat him home every now and then. He hated walking into a quiet, dark house.

"Should I lock the door?"

"I got it." He locked the door, placed the key in his pocket, and turned the knob again to assure himself that the lock had clicked.

They climbed into the car, and Sasuke was grateful it was still a bit warm. "It's absolutely freezing. I bet the weather in London was nice."

"It was. Well, decent would be a better word. Not as bad as here, though." He checked in his backseat. "Damn. I forgot them at home so you'll have to remind me later, but I got you and Naruto souvenirs."

"Thanks. You didn't have to. I mean, it wasn't exactly a pleasure trip."

"No." His expression lost all joviality. "I never really knew that part of my family. Hinata moved away from her dad as soon as she was legal, and has an apartment somewhere around here. We haven't been able to find out her address, though she's responding to our phone calls finally. She didn't want to be too close to us, because she didn't want to be the reason our fathers fought, but considering that they'd been fighting long before and that her father's dead now, I hope that she comes to be close to us again." He sighed. "Her little sister is a mess. We nearly had to drag her back, but she just can't live on her own."

"I haven't seen Hinata in… ten years, at least. Even then it was only briefly." They both thought back to sunny summers, heroic games of tag with the other orphanage kids, swim races in the Hyuuga pool, and procrastinating summer projects for school. "I was sure she didn't like us or thought we were beneath her, but then I realized that she was only a bit terrified of Naruto." He chuckled.

"Can you blame her? You had grown up surrounded by his noise, and you two always came over to my house together so I was used to his noise be then, but she rarely was around anybody who spoke louder than a whisper."

"It would be nice to see her again. So what's she up to? She'd be in college now, right?"

"As far as I know, she's in a university nearby, though she might be using a fake name because we haven't found her yet. Her dad wouldn't give her funding until he approved her career plan, and he didn't approve of her plan. That was the exact point she moved out, and other than picking her up once from the airport, I haven't seen her in years, either. Though I think she wanted to do something with graphic design."

"Wow." No wonder Hinata had spent every possible moment away from her father. It wasn't some childhood misunderstanding like he had assumed; he felt a little guilty for being so envious of her for having even one parent. "I can hardly imagine… I mean, Naruto suggested that I become a teacher like him, but he's fine that I haven't made up my mind yet. I've got a lot of scholarships, and then your dad's promised to fill any gaps personally, but…" he shook his head. "That must have been a lot of pressure, having to get everything you do approved by someone that practically hates you."

"Well, she's free now." Hyuuga had been fortunate, because his dad was much more laid back than his brother had been. As long as his son's grades were good and behavior far from delinquent, he didn't mind what his son did. The same philosophy applied to his daughters, and ever since Neji and Sasuke had become best friends in kindergarten, and by extension, Naruto, he'd treated the other boys like family, too. "Speaking of pressure, 'this person' that gave you a hand isn't pressuring you, is he? What's he like?" Though if he'd had this much of an effect on Sasuke already, Neji might have to accept the guy regardless of what was wrong with him. Surely there had to be something. Nobody was genuinely this nice.

"You don't need to sound so suspicious. He's a great guy." He brushed off the look he got for that statement. "And he's different from the others." He ignored the eye roll; Sasuke had said that about the last one, too. "I can already tell you don't believe me. But you should know that Naruto likes him."

"Hmm." The noise was more thoughtful than Sasuke had been hoping, and kept going.

"Soon you'll have to meet him. He just… he makes me feel safe. And he's very attentive. It's like he knows just how far he can go before it's too much. And obviously he's good for me—you clearly think I'm different. Better." It was a fair, objective assessment; Neji just couldn't help feeling a little jealous that a stranger had done so much for a friend he'd stood by for so long, and had been able to help so little.

"But the whole point of taking a break is so that you can worry about healing yourself. A vital part of that is rebuilding yourself without depending on another person like before. Leaning on friends and family is fine, because we support you, but romantic interests by their very nature require you to give." With his hand he patted a spot near Sasuke's arm without actually touching him, a habit he'd formed for when he would usually reassure someone through touch but modified because of Sasuke's aversion to contact. "When we talked about this before, I thought we had agreed that we'd get you stable first. Naruto and I want to protect you, but you have to let us."

The slight air of gloom emanating from his friend ultimately changed his mind. "However, if Naruto doesn't hate him, then I guess I can at least reserve my judgment until after I meet him."

Cheered, Sasuke responded, "I don't think anybody can dislike him." Though that did remind him of how the people in his class seemed cautious around him, and get him thinking why he was supposed to stay away from Orochimaru. Sure, he seemed like a creeper, but that was based on his first impression. People were wrong and misjudged too quickly all the time. Besides, the man must be a good guy, because he went out of his way to try to warn him that Itachi's past might get him involved in something unpleasant. Or did they know each other from somewhere else? Orochimaru seemed like he knew quite a bit about the Uchiha. He felt certain he wasn't over thinking the issue, and resolved to find out more tomorrow.

"It'd be easier to find the white whale than a parking spot in this mess." Neji gestured to lot, though he quickly retook the wheel to swerve around an illegally parked vehicle.

"Wasn't your dad going to give you your own spot? I mean, he's the president."

"Dad was just messing with me—he keeps reminding me that he doesn't play favorites, and loves all his students equally. As much as I argue with him, I know he's right. Like mom says: we're rich, not spoiled. Oh, and she wants to have you and Naruto over for the holidays. She says they just aren't complete without you." When he noticed his friend wasn't saying anything, he looked over, and, seeing his contemplative expression, decided to give him a moment. Finally seeing an empty space, he maneuvered swiftly and pulling into a spot. They climbed out, and Hyuuga ventured the question. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm." There wasn't really a simple answer to that question. "Yes and no. I've just been thinking a lot lately about what I'm supposed to do with my life. I need to pick a major so that I can graduate so that I can get a job so that I can make enough money to pay back all the people that have helped me get this far." Mr. Hyuuga would never take any money back from him, but he was sure he could persuade the man to accept some sort of restitution.

Although he didn't notice, Neji certainly did: how long had it been since his friend focused on the future? For years he had been worrying about the past, but in just a few weeks, Sasuke was like his old self—subtly optimistic, energetic (if their pace was anything to go by), and already he could tell that the vestiges of his paranoia were fading. Sasuke hadn't checked over his shoulder once since they left the car, and his eyes weren't shifting suspiciously from person to person, but wandering to take in the beauty of the campus at wintertime.

"I really like where I'm working. It hasn't even been that long since I've started, but it just feels… homey. I haven't had that sort of community feeling since The Home." Realizing this might offend his friend, he elaborated. "Not that I didn't love your house. And we stayed there half the time anyhow, but there was just something about the chaotically warm feeling, where everybody is there for the same purpose, that just doesn't happen in single-family homes. You family is united, but these guys have the same sort of soul, as different as they are. It's hard to explain."

"I think I understand what you mean. I've beat up guys for my little sisters, and I've taken a few punches for them too, but there was always something about you and Naruto, even when you were fighting, like if either of you went just out of the other's sight, the other would disappear, cease to exist. Like two halves of one coin." That sounded much nicer to Sasuke than Naruto's wording—he didn't 'follow Naruto around' back then—if anything, the blonde was tailing him.

"Well, it's such a familiar feeling that I kind of wish I could be there more often." Now he knew exactly what expression Neji was wearing, though he turned to look at his friend to confirm it. "Don't get frustrated; I'm not done talking yet. I've just been thinking that I need to pick a major, but since choosing is too hard just now, I've at least started crossing things off the list. That school is focused on the arts and music, and I know I'm more comfortable with something practical. I need consistency."

"What about your mysterious man? He's an artist, so wouldn't he have an inconsistent lifestyle?"

"Actually, he hasn't really stated what he plans to do. He has plenty of options, but from what I've gathered, he's in art school because he finds it interesting, rather than training for a career. He used to be a lawyer, so he might do something like that again. In any case, he's got enough to live comfortably, and he's paying for college all by himself without worrying about finances at all."

"So, he's rich? You little gold-digger." He joked.

"Haha. You're hilarious." He said sarcastically. That remark was actually quite offensive, but since it was Neji, he brushed it off. "He used to have a great job that made a lot of money, but there was an important reason he had to quit. It's not like he has all that anymore, just what he'd saved up." He smiled. "And a pretty awesome car."

"So you're saying he's responsible. I really might have to approve of him." He opened the door as they headed into the building, and they stopped the slush off their shoes on the doormat. "And you'll listen to me this time, yes? Cause you brushed me off repeatedly when I tried to tell you that Kimmimaro was stalking you."

"Sorry. I'm not very good at trusting people, and in my defense, you didn't have much proof. Still, I'm sorry. I should've been a better friend." More like he always trusted the wrong people.

"Never mind." He wasn't trying to make his friend feel bad, so he moved to a more pertinent topic. "So what was the reading about?

"Dammit! I was going to finish it on the bus." He looked at his friend hopefully. "Any chance you read it on the plane?"

"Hah. While sitting between Suki and Toph? No. You're out of luck." As the oldest and most rational Hyuuga child, he had to sit between his two sisters on the plane and act as a mediator between their every dispute. It almost had him considering a career as a hostage negotiator. "I can at least get out of the quiz because I wasn't here for legitimate reasons."

The classroom was in sight, and they joined the other students trudging in, taking off scarves, gloves, and coats. "Ugh. I can already hear the storm that heralds great suffering."

"We might not have a quiz today, right?" The attempt at comfort was weak, because they both knew that the professor gave quizzes based solely on their reading assignments and there was a quiz scheduled for every class day.

"Are you kidding? I am rarely that lucky."

888

The morning sun once more forced itself through the blinds of Sasuke's window, though the slamming of the front door was what dragged him back to the waking world. A glance at the clock told him Naruto was running late, and mused that it was probably because his car wasn't fixed yet; Gaara typically lived outside of the socially accepted timetable, so it only made sense that Gaara was running late (by *society's* terms, the redhead usually added) and, by extension, Naruto.

He wasn't in the mood for morning, but as soon as he realized that today he would get to see Itachi again he couldn't help grinning. A few moments later he realized that he was too awake to go back to sleep, so he figured he could at least get his homework done. That way if they hung out afterwards, he wouldn't have to worry about completing his assignments.

He read for a long while, taking careful notes—his physics teacher, Dr. Cooper^, always asked very specific questions so details were extremely important. Sitting around the apartment wasn't very exciting, and he figured he could read just as well at work; plus, if he was there earlier, than there was a chance that he could hang out with Itachi earlier, too. Those thoughts in mind, he ate and got ready, checking the bus schedule online. It only drove by his stop about every hour, so he would have plenty of time to finish his readings before class even started. Estimating how long the reading would take, he stowed an extra book in his bag in case he finished his homework. As he left, he carefully locked the door and turned the knob to make sure it was locked properly. Cell phone in his pocket and bus card easily accessible, he began his trek to the bus stop, enjoying the sight of the light dusting of snow that had fallen last night.

The weather had gotten colder, and would probably continue its descent, Sasuke thought as he tugged his gloves on. The buses may be heated, but the bus stops sure aren't. As long as the bus isn't running late, then frostbite won't be a problem.

Fortunately, a few minutes after he arrived at the stop, the bus did as well, right on time, and as he boarded and flashed his bus pass the driver, a blonde man who's name tag simply read "Wash," they exchanged smiles as usual. He sat down in his regular spot, avoiding eye contact with the few people on the bus. They left the stop and pulled onto the main road and the bus jerked its occupants back and forth until the driver steadied the elephantine vehicle. "Sorry, guys," he commented into the speakers. "Looks like the sun hasn't melted all the ice yet. You might want to hang onto the bars."

Although this is ordinarily an alarming statement, Sasuke had this same bus driver for the past couple years and so relaxed in his seat, trying to decide if the comfort of leaning his head against the window could be worth the exposure to germs. The moment he decided against it, he felt the seat behind him shift as someone sat down.

There was no discernable reason to sit so close; at this time of day, there were only a some university students, the old lady who rode the bus nonstop to take advantage of the free heat until her kids got out of school, and some older gentleman on their way to get their social security checks. He peeked into the reflection, angling himself to see behind him, trying to determine what this person looked like. But all the straining in the world proved useless, because the person sitting behind Sasuke was bundled up to extreme lengths, though the temperature was above freezing today and the wind wasn't a factor on the bus. A hood hung over his face, keeping him in shadow, but his scarf wrapped around his mouth and ended just below his eyes.

Alongside Sasuke's customary tingles of fear—because there is certainly enough space on the bus that sitting so close is suspicious, and who the hell goes that far to keep out the cold?—he felt the threads of frustration winding themselves together. He could literally feel the person staring! Every breath was now supervised by some nameless stranger who had no business being near him. And even if the man wasn't intentionally staring at him, why did he have to sit so close? Sasuke couldn't write this off as part of his own paranoia, because the elderly woman was sneaking glances at the stranger, too. Apparently, her book was just for show, since she spent more time looking at other people than looking at the pages.

In a moment of brilliance, he pulled out his phone with the pretense of checking his text messages and using the reflective surface to see directly behind him. He adjusted his hand, vaguely remembering to appear casual, and nearly kicked the seat in front of him out of frustration. The man had his face covered, ninja-style, except for his eyes, which Sasuke had been hoping would give him a clue about what this man's deal was.

But they were covered by sunglasses! Of all the things to be defeated by… Sasuke sighed. The day was not bright enough to warrant sunglasses, especially indoors, but maybe he was sensitive to light? Then again, knowing what the man looked like or even whom he was wouldn't make him less creepy or solve the problem that he was too close. He cut off his reasoning, consoling himself that they were almost at the university.

At the next stop, Sasuke made a point of moving to a different seat. He nodded to the elderly woman, and she smiled back before pretending to read her book again. The familiar jolt of the bus reentering the roadway was supplemented by the creak and shift of someone sitting in the seat behind him.

The temptation to jump up, turn around, and shout at the man gained strength. Yet the tingles of fear rallied together, cutting through the poorly constructed rope his frustration had been weaving. With his annoyance gone, panic threatened to take over. This wasn't an area where people were commonly stabbed or mugged, and he'd be protected by all the padding from his coat anyhow. Another unfortunate possibility was a stalker—the man had gotten on at a stop before him. However, supposing he was being followed, it was to his job—where there were quite a few capable and intimidating men to call upon for help.

He encouraged that line of thought, determined to conquer the panic that rose and gathered strength like an oncoming wave. He stared out the window, purposely focusing on the scenes rushing past and ignoring the half-reflections of the bus's occupants.

First thing he did when he got off the bus, he resolved, would be to find his boyfriend and kiss him. That should get enough endorphins going to forget all about creepy strangers. Then he would have a talk with Kiba, because if Kiba stopped slacking off at work then Naruto wouldn't feel bad about quitting his second job, and Sasuke could have his three favorite people close to him, once he asked Neji to come over this weekend. And then Hyuuga would meet Itachi and all his reservations would disappear like an icicle in the sun.

Maybe after class today, he would probe into what was going on between Itachi and Orochimaru. There must be something serious; neither seemed the type to judge people without reason, and the latter definitely seemed familiar with the secrets of the Uchiha family. Perhaps they were childhood friends, or rivals?

His mind wandered further in that direction, until he noticed something unusual outside. At every street sign there appeared to be someone wearing a blue coat. It was a navy blue; plenty of people had coats like that, but the odds seemed pretty low that there'd be a jacket like that so regularly. A few more streets passed, and suddenly he realized it was the *same person* at every street sign. The dark stain in the middle of this person's back was the same pattern, over and over.

Chills shot down his spine, and simultaneously he broke out in goose bumps and started sweating. Now that he was paying attention, whoever it was had orange hair. Like a flipbook, the person slowly turned, each movement punctuated by the buildings between.

But it was unnecessary. Sasuke knew who it was.

The small part of his brain that valiantly tried to remain logical asserted weakly that it was impossible for Juugo to be there, because the man was in jail. Besides that, how could he—rather, any human—appear at every street corner? Physical impossibilities aside, it didn't make sense.

But the panic was drowning out all reason, prompted further by every turn of that orange head. The movements were staggered, but more pronounced as the bus slowed down. His senses told him that he was beginning to shake, but the bus jerked to a stop and without looking or caring where he was, Sasuke ran off the bus.

He checked over his shoulder, watching the bus pull away anxiously and wildly looking around. There was no sign of anybody near any street corner within Sasuke's range; hardly anybody was on the streets at all in this weather. He breathed deeply and slowly, trying to calm his heart rate and process at the same time. He'd stayed relatively calm until now, but suppression only made that eventual release that much worse.

First, and most importantly, why did he see Juugo? No, the fact that he was having these hallucinations was the bigger issue here. Though why Juugo? Then again, he was the most recent, left the worst scarring, and was the most dangerous, if jailed status was anything to go by. Just thinking about it pulled all his chest muscles together, like a threatening implosion, and he could feel himself shaking from a cold taking hold deep inside.

The best solution for right now was to go inside and recover in the bathroom, before he had a meltdown in public—people, though well-meaning, would try to get involved but that would only make him feel worse. Nausea rose sharply at the thought, and he shivered, his hand reaching across his abdomen as if that mere touch could quell the sudden impulse to vomit.

Itachi approached him quickly as he was turning around, so Sasuke wasn't as startled as he would have been had he turned a moment later. "Are you alright?" asked Itachi, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Concern was all over his face, indicating that he had witnessed his dash from the bus to the front of the building. Hardly aware of his movements, Sasuke grabbed onto his arm desperately with both hands. "Again, I saw him… I thought he was there." And he crumpled into Itachi's ready arms, hiding his face, gasping for breath. "I just don't understand it." He mumbled.

Itachi couldn't hear the muffled words, but he caught the tone. "It's going to be ok," he said, drawing the other man closer, as he tried to make a decision. Taking him inside the building would be warmest and easiest, but they would surely draw unnecessary attention; his car was parked not thirty feet from them, and would give them some privacy. A glance at his watch showed there was sufficient time before class started, so he guided the boy back to his car and helped him into the back seat. "Come here, you're safe. Let's get the heat going," he said, keeping his voice low and soothing—the tone mattered more than the words, he knew, and detached Sasuke just long enough to reach to the front and start the car up, switching the knobs so that heat poured into the back. He pulled him in close again, for once ignoring the slight recoil from the touch; he made sure to keep a hand on his wrist, though, and monitored his pulse carefully. The younger man was still shaking a bit, but it was lessening little by little.

"Are you hurt?" A shake of the head. "Lightheaded? Dizzy? Nauseous?"

"A bit nauseous. It's mostly gone," answered Sasuke, whose nausea faded faster the longer he was held. "Thank you," he mumbled so quietly that Itachi nearly missed the words.

Apparently young Uzumaki still was determined to keep his face out of view, probably ashamed to break down so openly. Gently, he stroked his hair. "Can you tell me what happened?" with his breathing under control again, he was aware of what he'd done—rushing recklessly off the bus, carelessly moving around a not-quite-familiar campus, and then practically melting in public at the first touch from a stable element. Wasn't he supposed to have control over this by now?

Such a simple thing, and the episodes never lasted more than a few minutes, yet the panic washed him out every time. He felt drained, the kind of tired that left him feeling like part of his life force had been sucked away, but Itachi was warm and did not seem to be letting him go so he remained as he was, savoring the feeling of safety. The witness of one panic attack was a nightmare; the witness of a second one brought new meaning to the word shame. He owed the man an explanation, but he couldn't find the guts to look him in the eye. His whole confidence, so newly built, was being washed away in the flood.

"The first time this happened, the day we met, I thought I saw the last one. The one who caused the… my scars. And then I was on the bus, and usually there aren't any problems but this guy was sitting really close to me and it threw me off, cause he just had this... unsettling presence. So while I was looking out the window, I kept thinking I saw him. Juugo." Involuntarily, he shuddered. "What's *wrong* with me? I don't understand why this keeps happening. I was getting better, wasn't I? It's just all in my head, isn't it…?"

"You are better. There's nothing wrong with you—it's perfectly natural to have trouble. It's part of being human. We're told that, in this world, it's survival of the fittest. But I don't think that's right. We're people. We're not animals. Shouldn't it be okay to feel weak sometimes?"

He nodded, relaxing a bit more. "Even Neji noticed I'm different now. But… there just has to be an easier way to deal with this. I don't want to fall apart all the time. I hate feeling like this. This weak, drained, stagnant feeling, like I'm trying to run underwater." He paused, trying to get a handle on the anxiety and hurt that remembering Juugo caused. On his leg, where the man had left his mark, the skin prickled at the memory. With a shudder, Sasuke shoved it to the depths of his mind before the pain grew. "You know about medicine and stuff, right?" A reluctant nod from Itachi, not liking where this was going. "Aren't there drugs that can make it go away? Some kind of pills for this kind of anxiety? Or is there a kind of antidepressant that could help?"

"It's true that they do have medicine for the kind of problems you're having. But it's an unfortunate myth that pills will make everything better—you'll still have to work really hard, every single day. On top of that, there will be a variety of side-effects, and even then it is rare that medicine will erase your anxiety completely." Even further Sasuke seemed to wilt, and Itachi considered he could have said that better instead of making it sound so difficult. Soothingly, he rubbed the shorter man's shoulder. "The pills won't fight the current for you, they just make things a little more bearable. They ease your pain; they don't erase it.

"Honestly, I think you're better off without them. You might feel that it's so strong that you have to give in, but the opposite is true: it's because it feels so strong, that you shall fight the current and overcome it." Sasuke couldn't see it, but Itachi was smiling at him in encouragement. "I'll be here, with you, no matter what. I don't know if you can see it, but I can: You are strong enough."

"And how do you come to that conclusion?" The flames of anger and frustration sparked, and he didn't even consider holding them back. He held Itachi back at arms' length. "Just what the hell makes you think I'm strong? Are you joking? It's not funny at all. These past months I've spent in a hellish nightmare, and the time before that with Kimmimaro and the time before that Kabuto! And then there's all the pain I'm sure I've caused Naruto, who's been there all along and taking care of me even though he has more than enough to worry about on his own and he's always tired because he has to work so hard and I can't even help him because I'm pathetic! This is the only job I've been able to handle for over a year now, and I keep messing it up! Exactly which part of me fainting means I'm strong? How the hell does having a panic attack because I think I'm seeing my psycho ex-boyfriend mean that I'm better off without drugs?"

Giving him a moment to calm himself, Itachi softly rubbed at the hand pushing against his chest. "The very fact that you can react like that shows you're stronger than you seem. If you were as 'pathetic' and 'weak' as you think you are, you would never have tried to get a job. If you really were weak you never would have survived the orphanage—"

"—the Home." The words were quietly defensive.

"What?"

"It's called the Home. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. We heard of worse places just a few towns over. When people say 'orphanage' everybody gets these horrible images of poverty and cruelty in their heads, or they think we scrub the floors and sing like Annie. Living there wasn't awesome, but we were taken care of."

"Right. Sorry." He shook his head, brushing aside his misassumption, and ignored the hair that slipped from his low ponytail. "I didn't know. I just meant that of the people I've known, they would never be able to handle growing up outside their cushy homes or facing any sort of hardships, and the worst thing that ever happens to them is being cut off from their hundred-dollar allowance." And Sasuke allowed himself to be held close again. "I just want you to know how amazing you are." Seemingly unable to help himself, he kissed the boy's forehead where it was closest to him. "You survive and you overcome and you're strong. They say nobody's perfect, but you're fuckin' perfect to me."

That was quite a bit to process, and Sasuke took a few minutes to dissect the arguments, taking comfort in the warm embrace, leaning his head against Itachi's shoulder and . When he thought about it, he knew it was true that the only medicine powerful enough to take all his hurt away would probably kill him or render him catatonic. And considering the often unpredictable nature of side effects, he wasn't sure if he wanted to add to his problems. Surely, there is medicine out there that he could become accustomed to, but that conflicted with the driving force of Itachi's claim.

Fighting.

A few weeks ago, the thought wouldn't have even brought an amused chuckle out of him it was so beyond his reach. But with Itachi by his side, supporting him, maybe he could be strong. This type of thinking was so foreign to him, yet it resonated with the things Naruto said the other day—none of this was his fault and he could step forward.

Yes. Maybe fighting was an option. He could fight the current, not let the panic drag him away. Anybody could rely on pills, and surely, some people absolutely had to; but if he was as strong as Itachi believed he was, then maybe… people had survived for thousands of years already without reliance on drugs, after all. And he personally had lived through abuse; physical scars and emotional blows, but maybe he needed to look at that as not a reason to give in, but a reason to fight the effects—because he'd survived worse.

Still, he wanted to think it over a bit more, and Itachi understood. "We can talk about it more later, if you like." He'd pulled off the other man's gloves as the car's temperature became too warm for comfort, and the scarf was removed the better to see his face, watching his conflicted expression until it settled. Sasuke started to apologize, but he cut him off with an insistent kiss. He pulled back after only a moment. "Anytime you feel like you can't fight it, just think of me." He kissed him again, finding it harder to pull away when the other man started kissing back.

Through the surprise Sasuke felt genuine delight at the show of affection—despite how messed up he was, despite the scars, despite how much trouble he caused—Itachi still wanted him, and as the pressure on his lips increased he abandoned all his worry and kissed back. The gloveless hands rose slowly to the older man's face and rest lightly on either side as Itachi slipped his right hand round the back of his neck and his left fell to his hip. He retreated again to give his younger boyfriend a chance to breathe. "Even if I'm not physically with you, just remember this."

Although he wanted this enjoyable activity to continue, the beep of his phone alarm reminded him they were going to be late for class. He was about to say as much when Sasuke started initiated a kiss of his own, landing a little to the side of his mouth but he soon matched their lips and boldly flicked out his tongue for a taste. A sound between a squeak and a moan answered the motion, and he did it again, swiping the length of Sasuke's mouth, which opened a little. Suddenly the car seemed much too hot, and the world outside seemed to fade, time had no effect on them at all; they would have kept on, but a shriek outside caught their attention.

They both turned to look out the front windshield, and saw that a girl had fallen on the ice. Not far behind her was Kiba, shunning any attempt to withhold his laughter. She glared at him, though she accepted his help and stood shakily. "Damn! You're lucky you were holding my coffee."

"No, I think you mean your pants are lucky. The stains probably wouldn't come out until the Zombie Apocalypse." He replied, smothering his giggles beneath her sharp glower.

With a sigh, Itachi released Sasuke from his hold and helped him put his gloves and scarf back on. "Are you ready? We should head in, if you're feeling better."

"Yes. Much." He blushed. It was highly unlikely that he would cave into his anxieties if he had memories like this one to call upon. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." There was a smirk to the older man's expression that looked particularly good on him. They climbed out of the car, and since Kiba didn't notice them until he heard the shutting of the doors, he didn't see that they'd climbed out of the backseat, which Sasuke was thankful for because he was sure that Kiba would make inappropriate jokes. His face was still pretty red, but the wind was turning everybody's cheeks red so nobody should think it was because they were making out in the back of Itachi's car.

"Hey! How are you?" Kiba called as he sipped his coffee. Sakura reclaimed hers, walking a little unsteadily.

"Just fine, thanks. Bit chilly, isn't it?" Kiba nodded vigorously, and Sakura gave a grunt of agreement, trying to glare at Kiba while still looking sweetly at Sasuke, though she rather pointedly ignored Itachi altogether. Sasuke hadn't as of yet spoken to Sakura, though he had to ask. "Are you alright? We saw you slip."

"Thanks, but I think it'll be fine. I bet *you* didn't laugh." She glared at Kiba again, but he only smiled.

"When I see something funny, I laugh. It's not like you're hurt or anything."

"My foot actually does hurt, you dumbass, thanks for asking." She gave him a punch on the shoulder, and Kiba winced though he never stopped smiling.

"If you want, I could take a look at it. I've had some medical training." Rather than look relieved at Itachi's offer, the pink-haired woman seemed a bit alarmed and took a step back. The movement, however, drew attention to the fact that it hurt more than she'd like to admit.

"Um, no, that's fine. It doesn't hurt that much, I'm just trying to make him feel bad for not helping sooner." She looked annoyed at Uchiha, which made sense knowing that he'd rejected her; but another step towards the building showed that she was in more pain than she was annoyed.

"Come on, just let him check it. If you don't fix a problem when it comes up, it only gets worse later." Kiba urged. Clearly, he'd gotten over his discomfort around Itachi, and seemed to enjoy his friend's trepidation.

"Alright then." She sat on a bench, and Itachi sat beside her, taking hold of the hurt foot. "It hurts a bit around the ankle. I sprained it a couple years ago during softball, but it doesn't feel as bad as it did then."

He felt around the area for a moment, lifting her pant leg and adjusting her sock to check for bruising and swelling. "No, you'll be fine. It might be a bit sore, though, so I would suggest wearing sturdier shoes." She nodded reluctantly, apparently only grudgingly accepting his aid. The heel of her shoe was slight, but in the winter weather she should really know better. "Thank you," said Sakura reluctantly, though she meant it.

"Not a problem." He smiled a little, but even that bit had her disregarding the remnants of her resentment. She didn't seem so cautious around him now, either, readily accepting his hand as she stood once more. "Class will start soon. Shall we go in?"

They headed inside, Sasuke instinctually sticking close to Itachi. Class passed as usual for the most part, with the class conversing and listening to the soft music—perhaps Chopin this time, Naruto had played something like whatever they were listening to, but Sasuke didn't often remember who composed what—while their professor alternated between supervising them and reading, perched in his usual spot at the window.

Although noisy, the sounds were peaceful; that is, until there were a couple minor explosions from another side of the building. Sasuke jumped out of his chair, though the only other people to acknowledge the sound and slight shaking of the walls just rolled their eyes. Kakashi exited the room, grumbling all the way. Young Uzumaki sat back down, bemused and scratching his head a bit, as he tried to sit exactly as he had been before. "Did something just explode?"

"Probably." The students carried on, as if they were merely confirming that snow was indeed white.

"…Shouldn't we be worried?" One of the students, that blonde girl, shook her head and called for him to shift his leg to the left a bit. He obeyed, but he couldn't really help moving again a moment later—another "boom!" had sounded distantly and it startled him. "… or perhaps evacuating?"

"Oh no, that's just the pottery class. Deidara-sensei is reckless." While less than reassuring, Itachi's statement was met with nods of agreement. "Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, our professor is only checking in to make sure that none of the students got hurt. The university even put the pottery classes all in a separate building, so there shouldn't be any damage here."

"But what about the students in his class? He's endangering their lives! I've got a friend in that class!" Ino whipped out her phone and texted her friend quickly, disregarding the damage her phone was taking from coming into contact with her artistic medium.

"He isn't that bad. No one's gotten hurt in the past two years I've been here, and he's actually a great teacher." Kiba paused. "Aside from the mild terror of being near him when he's inspired, anyway."

"I heard the only reason he hasn't gotten sacked is because he's the cousin of the dean."

"No, it's because he's best friends with the dean. They used to go to college here together."

"Yeah, and then Deidara-sensei almost blew him up. They're only still alive cause their RA had a special fire safety system installed into their room."

"How did he make something explode in the dorm? Did he smuggle a kiln in or something? We aren't allowed to have personal ones in the dorms."

"Maybe he's the reason why personal kilns banned."

"Oh come on, kilns don't explode on their own."

"I've heard that he makes everything he can blow up. I took his class last year, and he told us that this building was boring and blank until he used explosives to make paint bombs to decorate the outside. The administrators didn't like it, but they needed to cover it up so they've since let students paint on it when we graduate."

"Why didn't he just use paint balloons, and throw them at the building? He didn't need to use grenades. What's the point?"

"Because art is a BLAST!" Following their reentering professor, who was rubbing the side of his head to ward off the oncoming headache, was the explosively energetic professor who specialized in pottery (and its combustion), Deidara. The blonde was chuckling and grinning at the class, apparently too sanguine about his latest achievement to be bothered with his slightly charred clothing or singed ends of his hair. "And what do you mean, point? All art is quite useless—if it was made to be useful, then it is not meant to be admired and therefore, not art." Every sentence was accompanied by a grand hand gesture or dramatic pose. "Art for art's sake, young grasshoppers!"

Sasuke itched to move and get a better look at the newcomer—or possibly run, if the man had for some reason brought a detonator with him, but other than a few students walking over to talk to him, most kept at their work. Young Uzumaki never would have guessed that art students would be so serious and focused. In response to the questions posed by the students around him, Deidara explained that his experimental art pieces were not going as well as he planned, and one of his freshman girls had fainted. "I told them in the beginning of the semester to drop the class if they were startled easily, and I gave enough warning."

"You probably just said 'hey guess what?' before you pressed the button." Kakashi said accusingly. He was going to make one of his other colleagues check next time; this was his third turn this semester and the blonde drove him crazy. Way too excited about every little thing.

"Hmph. Whatever. I've been pretty good recently, y' know. Least I haven't gotten Sasori to make another puppet of you, hmm?" Deidara ignored the annoyed glare that his comments earned. The students that were standing by to talk with him exchanged looks, contemplating running away if Deidara-sensei was going to annoy their current teacher. Kakashi-sensei was quite-laid back, but with Deidara pressing all his buttons, he could become peeved rather quickly.

'At least the Kakashi-puppet, as creepy as it had been, never exploded in anyone's face', thought Kakashi. He kept that thought to himself, lest he give his fellow professor any ideas.

The blonde plowed right on through his silence. "Anyway, I dismissed my class early since they were a bit shaky and they weren't getting anything else done," he answered one of the students who had asked where Deidara-sensei's class was.

"That's a great idea." Their eye-patched professor interjected. He knew an escape route when he saw one. "Everybody should go home. You're dismissed now. *Everyone*." He pointed to the door, giving Deidara-sensei a pointed look that was pointedly ignored. His arm dropped to his side again as he sighed, rubbing at his eye patch a bit. "Let's pretend it's cause the weather sucks, and not because my colleague drives me crazy." Amid giggles, the class happily packed up and Deidara-sensei grumbled, "If you dislike me that much, stop running into my classroom to check on me."

"I don't care about you. The dean only instructed me to check if you've injured your students." To which the blonde argued that Kakashi had seemed genuinely worried when he saw the blonde covered in ash and coughing smoke, and in reaction to that Kakashi appeared to be restraining himself from punching his co-educator. The argument probably continued, but their students couldn't care less—college kids know to treasure the times when class is let out early.

888

Once they'd gotten back to the Uzumaki residence, they settled down on the couch sipping their hot drinks they'd gotten on the way home. With their wet winter coats off they felt warmer already, and the tea was such a sudden change from the icy air filling his lungs before that with every sip Sasuke felt the heat run down his chest, almost as if he were spilling it.

"So… what do you want to do?"

"Well, you. But that would be moving a bit fast, wouldn't it?" He laughed at the stuttering reply he received. "I'm joking. I do have standards, you know. I'd like to know you better first—it'll make knowing you that way so much better." Again his deep laugh sounded at the way Sasuke's face flamed red. "When you react like that, I can hardly help teasing you."

"Then I might have to start teasing you back, won't I? Though teasing isn't nearly as fun..." Carefully placing his cup on the coffee table, he leaned over the now startled Itachi and made sure to brush his hand across leg oh-so-slowly, watching a hint of arousal light up his boyfriend's eyes, "as other things… like watching TV!" With a bit of a smirk he grabbed the TV remote laying just next to Itachi's leg, and resumed his previous position. Cup in hand, he calmly asked, "what would you like to watch?" while turning on the TV and changing the channel to something that was interesting enough to watch but functioned more as just something to be there.

"You are far more devious than I give you credit for. I keep telling you I have trouble holding myself back around you." A pause. "Or perhaps you don't want me to? Should I stop holding myself back?" Now he was the one leaning over his smaller boyfriend, a smidge of a smirk beginning.

Sasuke wanted this. He wanted to feel that hot mouth on his again, and in this relaxed environment he'd be able to enjoy it more. But part of him, the quieter but more resilient part made him feel he was moving much too fast. With Kabuto, they had gone slowly because he was Sasuke's first; Kimmimaro and Juugo had gone slow because he had told them that he was having a hard time, and in response, they had given him time and constantly checked that he was ready before proceeding. Though given the outcome of all three relationships, those men apparently had not been giving him a chance but rather biding their time until they were ready to show what they were really like.

Slowly—not cautiously, but calmly and with purpose, Itachi leaned in a bit closer, taking his time because he wanted to enjoy every moment with Sasuke. Yet a moment flashed through Sasuke's mind—Kabuto, with a devious smirk, pushing him roughly down on the couch and swiftly elbowing him in the gut to remind him of the importance of not joking about his glasses—and involuntarily, he flinched. Despite his hopes that Itachi wouldn't notice, the concerned expression confirmed it. Although he was hesitant to take any action that would hurt his younger boyfriend, he didn't back away from Sasuke, instead shifting his weight so that he was leaning against his side and no longer over him.

Though hardly able to explain why, he felt glad that Itachi was increasing the touch. Perhaps because it was the opposite of what Kimmimaro would have done, or because Itachi's show of patience didn't mean that he wanted Sasuke any less.

"I'm sor—" a hand clamping over his mouth stopped his words.

"I can't allow unnecessary apologies. Whether you flinched because you didn't want me to kiss you or because you couldn't help remembering something, either way, there's no reason for you to apologize."

He nodded, and accepting this, and pulled the hand away from his mouth. "Alright. But I think… I think that I need to tell you a bit, just so that you know. Because I want you. I don't want you to feel like you need to be overly cautious, so I guess if I can at least give you an idea of what I can't handle, we'll be able to move forward."

"Are you sure? I told you before, I won't make you talk about anything from your past if you don't want to;" he received a firm nod for an answer, and the older man slipped his hand around his boyfriend's in reassurance. "Then I'd like that. Soon, we'll overwrite all those memories of hurt and pain. We'll wipe them out of existence and replace them with new memories, ones without pain or fear. Regardless of any scars—emotional or physical—I still want you. Nothing can change that."

Busy gathering his thoughts into a more structured narrative, he merely nodded, though he knew later when he was trying to sleep he'd replay those words in his head until he fell asleep. "So, um, I guess it started with Kabuto. I was still in high school, but I was almost out so I didn't think it was a big deal that he was in college. Naruto was absolutely against it because Kabuto freaked him out, but none of my work friends—that was where I knew him from, we both were doing part-time at a convenience store—anyway, nobody else seemed to have a problem with him. He'd always been rough, but I thought that was just his personality, or because guys were supposed to be rough like that with each other. I couldn't move in with him officially, because of the rules of the Home, but I spent as much time as possible with him, hanging out after school and… sleeping… there over the weekends.

"But Naruto and my best friend started asking about the bruises, and I brushed it off as roughhousing until he came in one day, in a bad mood for whatever reason, and started beating me pretty hard. After a bit he thanked me for the stress relief and stormed out. I ran to Naruto's, cause he'd just moved into an apartment and I knew how to get there, and well… from there, you know how that ended. He beat the shit out of Kabuto, and last we heard of him he's living in his parents' basement, unemployable because of his temper and lonely because Naruto made sure everyone knows his reputation.

"That lasted about five months, but Kimmimaro I was with for over a year. Well, he thought we were together for much longer than that. After getting away from Kabuto, I'd graduated and was working to save up money for school, though I'd switched jobs and worked at my college's bookstore. And since we were finally able to work it out, Naruto had officially and legally and all that jazz adopted me, so I was living at his apartment. It was nice, having only one other person to worry about, but he just overflows with energy and enthusiasm—hard to keep up with constantly.

"Then... well, you know how after a while of going to the same places, everyone starts to look familiar, even though you don't know them by name? Except this one guy, he had pale hair like Kabuto, but his expressions seemed more genuine. 'Course, he genuinely liked me, but I didn't know he'd been stalking me since my time at the convenience store. I thought he just was a busy guy who just happened to show up wherever I was; worst I figured he was trying to get a chance to talk to me.

"And he was nice; eased me into touching again, and never made a fuss when I asked to wait for more intimate stuff. Physically, he wasn't very strong, and he was gentle with his every movement, so I felt safe and happy and did whatever he asked. I never really questioned that he didn't like hanging out with my friends, or that after the initial meeting he said he'd rather I wasn't with them so much—especially when he said it was because he wanted to keep me all to himself. We were together more often than not, so before long I'd moved into his house—already I could appreciate that he was more responsible than Kabuto. Not that living with your parents is necessarily bad; Neji's family is traditional and they like to have everybody at home until they get married or need to move for their careers, and for some it just makes more financial sense to live with their parents. But Kabuto had never matured, so it was different—and Kimmimaro was older than him, though I never really knew by how much.

"There was a lot that I didn't ever learn about him, because when we were together he just kept telling me how much he liked me, and we'd go shopping and he'd pick out expensive clothes and insist on dressing me almost every day. When we went out to eat, he chose what I ate—at first I let him, since he was paying for it anyway—but after a while it was just easier to go along with what he wanted than to argue, especially about things that seemed so silly. After all, what did it matter if he wanted my hair kept really short? The arguments, well, his fits, were the worst part. He never threw a punch, but he was a master of manipulation. No matter what it was, he knew how to get it.

"One of the rare days when he was out, Naruto convinced me to visit with him for a bit. He'd just taken the job at Panera, saying he needed extra cash, so I met him there on his lunch break." A vague smile broke through. "He knows me too well. As soon as I sat down, he bombarded me with questions in the typical straightforward Naruto way, like 'why don't I ever see you anymore?' and 'where'd you get all these fancy clothes? And that watch?' and 'why did you quit your job? Why don't you answer your cell anymore? How is he treating you? Have you visited Neji lately? What about the kids at the Home? They miss you; you're like an older brother to them and they need any consistency they can get. And why'd you order that? You don't even like potatoes.' It was almost like he knew that he didn't have much time, the way he spoke.

"Time was up, though, because they'd called my name for me to go get my food and waiting at the counter for me was Kimmimaro. He didn't look any different from usual; after about a year of training, all he had to do was say 'let's go' to me and I left. I waved to Naruto, but I left my food, my adoptive dad, even the brand new jacket Kimmimaro had bought the day before and my cell phone at the table—I turned and left without question, because I didn't couldn't say 'no.' Kimmimaro wasn't angry. All he said was that he was disappointed that he wasn't enough for me, disappointed that I had to go looking for the company of other people. I was recaptured then; the brief reminder of who I'd been before had was left back in the restaurant with Naruto.

"A week or two later, watching some of the few TV shows that met Kimmi's qualifications while working on an important paper due in a few hours, he just decided that we were going to go to the store together right then, and something clicked in my brain. Maybe if I wasn't stressed from school, or tired from his demands that we stay up late watching movies every night, or if I hadn't been thinking about what Naruto had said—whatever it was, I just realized that I wanted to say no. Without thinking, I said it. The argument that followed was nasty, and somewhere within it, he revealed that back when I was still going out with Kabuto, he'd seen me at a coffee shop, revisited it until he knew my name and all my favorite drinks, and from there figured out where I worked and memorized my schedule. If I hadn't been so caught up with what was going on with Kabuto at the time, I might have noticed he was stalking me sooner.

"But I guess that part of the story you sort of know—first chance I got, I went to Naruto, and he said he'd take care of it. Couple days later he comes home and tells me it's all taken care of. Once he got the gist of the lesser points of the relationship, he stopped treating me like some kind of war victim and actually helped. Naruto had always been between best friend and mentor and guardian so our old friends at the Home knew I'd be ok since he'd be watching me closely and I'd be able to get personal attention. So I got used to being my own person again.

"See, this is where I took it too far. I was feeling lively and free—that kind of unexpected freedom, where you hadn't realized you were being denied something until you were had it back—and not more than a month after leaving Kimmimaro one of the more obnoxious students in my class started paying attention to me. Kimmimaro had convinced me to skip class as much as possible, and when I did go he liked me to wear stuff that didn't attract attention, but as I was getting back to myself and actually talking with my classmates again somehow Juugo noticed me. he was the third guy I was interested in, and I knew for sure the things I didn't want him to be like—he looked nothing like the previous two, and he had inherited money from a relative (or so he told me), and though he was strong I never saw him use that strength for cruelty. I also knew where to draw lines, and made sure I told him no when I didn't want to do something and that I would wait a long while if I did ever decide I wanted to live with him. Aside from his bragging and bombastic personality, plus a little air of insanity, he seemed a decent guy.

"The summary of my past relationship didn't faze him; his answer to anything and everything was to throw money at it. Every night was a different party or restaurant, each day a new wardrobe of clothes to choose from, weekends were at the various vacation homes his family owned.

"I can't lie: it was nice to be with the rich, handsome, popular guy for once. For the first time, I had nice things that I didn't have to pay for and didn't have to steal. It was really good, so that I didn't really mind that I was practically his trophy wife. He paid for everything I said I liked, let me choose what I wanted, didn't make demands that I go anywhere, and never had a problem when I decided I was ready to go home. His requests were few—that I maintain my grades because he hates dumb people, that I would ignore what people said about him because it was all lies, and that I would grow my hair long because it made me look hotter. I was doing those things anyway; grades actually matter in college, Kimmimaro had been so particular about my hair being super short that I'd been growing it long. Almost as long as yours," and he ran his fingers through the ends of the hair hanging over Itachi's shoulder. "As for rumors? I ignore them anyway, considering the kinds of rumors children had spread about us kids at the Home during my elementary school years.

"So that was more or less enjoyable. After a while, though, I noticed he seemed unsettled a lot of the time, and for reasons I still don't understand, he felt distant. When I asked him what was wrong, he played distraction and we ended up at a party or doing… other things.

"I fell asleep after some… stuff one night, and he goes out for a drink or something—he walks back into the bedroom, smelling like beer and something else (looking back, he had probably just gotten high while taking his 'nightly walk') and I thought he just wanted another round. I was tired and half-asleep so I didn't really object when he started tying me up, cause he was doing such a crap job of it I could get out if I really wanted. Just… that was when he cut into me. The way he was sitting on me kept me from moving, and when I finally did get enough leverage to move it was all too easy, thanks to the alcohol and my limited defensive training, to knock him out."

He laughed humorlessly. "It was more than instinct this time to run to Naruto's. It was the routine, and when I walked in the door, with blood dripping down my leg, Naruto hardly looked surprised. He panicked, cause he hates to see the ones he cares about bleed even a drop—but he didn't bother asking for the story. I refused the hospital, and that's why the scars haven't healed very well. But I don't like strangers knowing personal things like that about me. I didn't want to become some statistic, or be some nurse's story to her family at night. Though mostly it has to do with it *not being other people's business*, and keeping them from interfering with my life with Naruto. With the help of Neji's dad, the chancellor of another college nearby, I switched schools and as long as I stick with Neji while I'm there, I don't worry or feel anxious so badly during class.

"Which brings me back around to you. You're talented at everything I've seen you do so far, but you don't brag; you've got money, but you don't flaunt it; you've been patient with me, but you've given me no reason to believe that you're with me for any other reason than wanting me. And Naruto thinks you're fantastic, which few people get such approval, and you… well, you're completely different from everyone else I've known. I trust you completely." Caught in the moment, he shifted halfway into Itachi's lap, legs thrown across his, and fiddled with his collar, undoing the top couple buttons so that the older man didn't look so reserved. "So, I… I just…" one hand fell into place on his chest and the other behind his neck to tug him a bit closer.

Understanding perfectly, Itachi moved forward and sealed the kiss the younger man was aching for. It was so much hotter this time, the hot drinks having heated their mouths and a sort of involuntary groan escaped from one of them. The enjoyable activity continued for some time, but the sound of the key scraping in the lock cause Sasuke to jerk back and leap to his feet, face red.

The older man was still sitting as he had been when Sasuke was in his lap; surprise widening his eyes and hands reaching out to pull the boy back down. "What's the matter?" The hand tenderly holding onto his wrist wasn't harsh, but his expression had turned a bit stern.

"Not yet." Sasuke said. They had mere moments, and Itachi looked a bit offended, like he wanted to argue the point. "Please. Just… a bit more time, and I won't mind being open about this." Itachi stood to look him in the eye very seriously. Somewhat miserably, for he really would rather Naruto knew how much he liked the other man already, he explained, "I told him we were going slow, but I don't think he expects us to be this far yet at all, and I... I just don't want him to worry."

Naruto was walking in the entranceway, calling out greetings as he stripped off his layers until he was down to his shorts and t-shirt. "Man, I'm soaked through even to this! Tonight is definitely a stew night."

Something subtle shifted in Uchiha's expression; he definitely didn't look offended anymore. There seemed to be a hint of respect and understanding, though a touch of bitterness could not be concealed. "I have homework to do." He said abruptly. He moved to leave, making for the door and getting his winter gear back on. He smiled charmingly at Naruto. "Sorry to leave so soon, but I have homework to catch up on."

"Sure you can't stay? Well, alright. But you're always welcome here, you know." And the blonde dashed into his room to change into warmer clothes.

Sasuke stood at the door, tugging at the edge of his shirt. Had he been wrong? Should he have prioritized his boyfriend's feelings over potentially upsetting his lifetime best friend and guardian? No, after all this time, Naruto had to come first.

The lines around his eyes softened. "I really do have homework, you know."

How had he not noticed before how intricate the carpet pattern was? "Yeah." He mumbled in return.

A sigh. "I'm not mad. At least, not at you. I guess I'm jealous that you don't even have to think about putting family first. I wish…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "That doesn't matter. Don't feel guilty, because the problem is with my stupid family. I shouldn't let it get between us. That's my biggest mistake—letting their choices break apart all my relationships." Leaning over, he gave him a swift peck on the cheek, then left. "See you the day after tomorrow."

Looking him in the eye, he repeated, "See you."

As he started dinner, he reflected on the afternoon. A few things he knew: making out with his boyfriend was fun. His personality, his mannerisms, his everything was so different from his other boyfriends that he felt truly safe with Itachi. And the moment of bitterness—what a relief to know he wasn't the cause. And although he said often enough that he more or less hated the people he's related to, it seemed like Itachi had some sort of desire for reconciliation.

Going over the past… memories were still floating around in his head while he prepared the vegetables, but they were a bit more distant. It was sort of like viewing them in black and white instead of color. Naruto slipped in without him noticing, and, disappointed that he wouldn't get to hang out with his ex-lawyer friend, stole a carrot from out of Sasuke's grasp. "Watchya up to? Stew looks good. Good idea using the rest of the beef, too, before it goes bad." Although he nodded and gave him a sort of smile, it was impossible to notice the solemn look stayed. "Thinking about serious things again?"

"No. Well, yes, but I don't feel so… raw about it right now. It's sort of… further away." But that was enough about that. He didn't want to talk about it more, because it might lead to what he and Itachi were up to and regardless of what Naruto said about wanting him to be happy, he didn't want to bring it up unnecessarily. The blonde was chewing, so he didn't say anything for a moment, yet as Sasuke looked at him, he realized how tired he looked. "It's only Monday. Is it okay for you to have bags under your eyes already?"

Uncharacteristically, he scowled. "Never mind that. There's still a lot of work to do, so the sooner we get dinner out of the way, the better." That wasn't something he needed to hear so early in the week either, but since the boy was worried about him in the cute old way like back in middle school, in reparation he left his pseudo-son to prepare dinner in peace as he tried out on the piano a bit of a new piece he'd found online.

"Are you keeping up with your homework?" The notes flowed nicely—aesthetically, they were pleasing on the page and even better to let loose from his fingertips into the piano and throughout the house. Not really paying attention to the details of what his best friend was saying, he noted the tone more than the words, and let him talk on. Most of his mind, though, was caught up in the nonsense of the day. There was just too much to do, and it was stressing him out. He hadn't really planned on quitting his second job, but it seemed like there wouldn't be much choice. Then again, he'd be able to support Sasuke and the occasional stray kid plus send some money to The Home every month if he took on more responsibility at school, maybe supervise a few clubs.

The blonde arrived at a complicated part of the piece, and since he was just playing around and not seriously practicing, he abandoned the piano and went to grab his bag to start grading papers, still listening to the train of Sasuke's monologue, pleased to hear he and Neji were going to study together this weekend. He wholeheartedly approved of Sasuke's new boyfriend, if only for the recent changes in his attitude and behavior. Whoever it was, he'd have to meet him soon. Sasuke had said that they'd met recently, so it wasn't Neji, so possibly somebody in the art class? Certainly not Kiba. Naruto knew Sasuke was too calm to be around somebody like that maniac; and the man already had a boyfriend anyway from what he remembered. Couldn't be Itachi, either, because the man was a couple years older and… well, it just seemed an awkward fit. Though he did like that the man was always hanging out here.

"I'm glad that Itachi has been watching out for you so much. He's a good guy, so I knew he would. You're even starting relax more around him, so he's clearly a good influence. But don't spend so much time socializing that you get behind in your homework."

"I know." He set the bowls on the counter, slipping spoons into the stew and walking around to sit at his bar stool. "Come on, it's hot." They ate in easy silence, both swiping more over the counter.

Naruto, after his fourth bowl, leaned against the back of his chair, rocking it a little bit. "You'll fall," Sasuke teased. He gave the chair a slight tilt, nearly causing the blonde to fall.

"Hah. You wish. You never could knock me over."

"Well, you've always been bigger than me. I'm fighting against gravity and types and such, Naruto. And I did get the better of you in a few fights in high school."

"Yeah, that was fair." That sentence wore the cape of sarcasm. "You waited till you hit your growth spurt, 'Suke, then tackled me when I stepped in the door after work. From inside this dark house. You were like a sneaky little ninja."

"I am named after a ninja, you know. There was a real ninja named Sasuke, way back when. I wonder if that's what they were thinking—whoever named me. Maybe they wanted me to be sneaky."

The topic of who named them, why, and how the names were chosen was a conversation they'd had many times with little result, other than a few inside jokes and frustration. "They probably just wanted you to be strong. And thanks to me," he grinned widely, pulled him in for an awkward hug that all but dragged him out of his chair, "you are strong. Though, we haven't practiced any self-defense moves lately. We should review or something, like we used to do. I'd hate to think I paid all that money and you aren't even using it."

"I used it against Juugo," he replied, a little melancholy. The blonde, although sensitive to the issue, had completely forgotten about that. He still wasn't sure if he was supposed to apologize for bringing these things up, or comfort his friend, or ignore it, but he didn't have to worry because Sasuke switched it on his own. "And I'll use my crazy attacks on you, too, if you don't agree to do the dishes."

"Sorry, Sasuke." The blonde poked his forehead. The boy crinkled his nose and frowned in childish distaste. "My kids aren't learning the material, and these lesson plans won't rewrite themselves. Do it for me, please?"

Although he gave a larger than necessary sigh, Sasuke relented and started cleaning up. Naruto may have denied the implication that he was overworking himself, but Sasuke had no intent to cause his best friend extra stress when he clearly needed all the breaks he could get.

The blonde worked steadily from the couch, occasionally muttering to himself. Every now and then, the brunette looked over fondly, and by the time he was done taking care of the dishes and wrapping up his homework from earlier, they were both ready for bed. They each carried a mug of hot tea into their respective bedrooms. Impulsively, Sasuke gave his guardian and best friend a half hug, feeling that he needed it because it would remind of the days when they were younger and Sasuke hadn't known better than to hang onto him like a lifeline.

The bright smiled warmed his heart, and that night they both slid into contented, restful sleep.

888

After class on Wednesday, Sasuke unlocked the door to his house and Itachi closed the door as he entered after him. "I'll make some hot chocolate." Uzumaki offered as he hung up their coats in the front closet. The ride over had been pleasant, and as he was growing accustomed to his boyfriend's consistent efforts to keep physical contact, he'd honestly liked having his hand held the whole drive. Itachi's bright, almost playful mood was a happy result of Sasuke's progress and that the younger man wanted him in the same way that he felt drawn towards the sweet man making hot chocolate for him in the kitchen.

"That sounds good." Really, he'd drink whatever the boy made for him. How any person had ever thought of hurting him instead of doting on him and affectionately yielding to his every daydream was unfathomable. He'd sooner kill his own parents than break a bone in his Sasuke. However, those were unpleasant images and evil must be battled with pure goodness, so he queried, "Do you have any marshmallows? I like marshmallows." With a smile, Sasuke nodded. Itachi sat down on the dark green couch, noticing the game system light blinking rhythmically at him. "What sort of videogames do you have?"

"Mostly they're Naruto's. We've got the basic stuff—some Mario games, Super Smash Brothers, Zelda, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed, Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Bioshock, Call of Duty, Ninja Gaiden, Goldeneye, Devil May Cry, a few Final Fantasy plus Kingdom Hearts, and then sports ones like basketball and football, both regular and American, along with DDR—though Naruto says that all videogames, played properly, require more than enough movement. But he jumps and moves when his character does. So that might just be him. Anyway, we have just regular games, I guess." Until now, Sasuke hadn't noticed just how many games Naruto considered standard to any gaming library.

"Hmm," was the only noise from the couch.

"Do you… want to play?" He asked, unsure how to interpret the thoughtful noise.

"Actually… I don't know how." He seemed a bit embarrassed. "I've never played any videogames before."

Surprise stopped all of Sasuke's movements and he froze with the two mugs in his hands, halfway to the couch. "You've never played any videogames?" The simple entertainment had relieved many supervisors at The Home of the mighty task of keeping the children out of trouble, and as there were only so few children that could play at one time, videogames were elevated from a mere activity to a highly-prized privilege. Even watching others play had its appeal.

"Nearly all my time was devoted to school. My classmates were always older than me, and, well, for the most part they left me alone." He frowned slightly. The other man looked over at the odd pause, but as Itachi continued, he figured it probably wasn't important. "Anyway, Father never put any money towards entertainment or amusement unless it advanced his ambitions. My friends' parents had a similar philosophy, and by the time I had my own money there were too many other things to worry about."

"Oh." That sounded a bit lonely, though it was good to know he hadn't grown up completely alone. At least at the orphanage, everybody was alone together.

It was sort of like having a too many of siblings, all of which arrived at random, accompanied by a slew of issues each. Except some of those siblings disappeared with kind-looking strangers and were never seen again. But then Sasuke started hanging out with Neji in elementary, and by extension Naruto befriended him, too, and Mr. Hyuuga frequently donated generously to The Home. "There's not a whole lot to it. I could teach you, if you want."

Uchiha's face lightened. "Sure."

As he sat sipping his hot chocolate, Sasuke fiddled with the remote and turned on the systems. "What sort of thing do you want to try? Racing? Sports? Fighting?"

"Something simple." He inspected the proffered controller carefully.

"Alright." With a nod, Sasuke placed a straightforward combat game in the slot and started it up. He sat down on the couch, pointing to the important buttons. "This one here is to jump, this one blocks, press here to attack, oh and that one attacks, too. Don't worry about the others just yet."

Zipping through the credits, he picked his character and helped the other man choose one with high HP so that he'd have a better chance of survival. They battled for a bit, and though Sasuke tried to go easy on the novice, he had the clear advantage. "I've seen worse. At least you're surviving past the first couple seconds."

"I'm surviving, not thriving." Itachi said as he lost again.

"You did better that time." It was a poor consolation, but anything more would have been too much of a lie.

"Not by much." He grumbled back. The fight started again, and Itachi tried a different strategy with little success. "Dammit!" Somehow, Sasuke had evaded his attack again. "Why do I keep mistaking logs for people?"

"It's a classic rookie mistake." He couldn't help being a little smug. Neji refused to play with him after he realized he could no longer win, and Naruto had too much natural talent for his lack of practice time to make any difference in his playing ability.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? You like beating me." He elbowed his boyfriend softly, just enough for him to feel it, in an attempt to distract Sasuke enough to land a hit on his virtual character. It failed miserably, because that was a Naruto tactic that Sasuke was well guarded against. "Well, on the bright side, you can feel safe knowing I can't ever hurt you. Not even in a game." Without taking his eyes off the game, he snuck in a kiss on his cheek. Sasuke was so startled he nearly dropped his controller.

"Hey! That's cheating!" That distraction cost him. He made up for it in the next round, though.

"You're right, these games are fun." Though he lost again, he was smiling and tried to steal another kiss. "How about you make my losses more acceptable?"

Well, that certainly wasn't an invitation he was inclined to deny. "How about a kiss for each win?"

"Every win?" He shot him a sexy smirk. "Agreed." Suddenly he was much more focused on the game, and it showed. Evading attacks, striking cautiously, even jumping offensives were now possible with the increase in motivation.

At long last, Sasuke won after his character summoned a giant skeleton. Itachi's head dipped in defeat. "Rematch?" He asked, and turned his head to his companion on the couch. To his surprise, Sasuke was leaning forward quickly. A gentle hand held Itachi's chin still as he kissed him firmly, blood rushing to his cheeks at the tender contact. It only lasted a moment, but it wakened in Itachi a heat that had lain dormant since they had to stop their activities the other day (not counting last night, alone in his shower, of course). He was actually fair speechless.

After a moment of blank staring, Sasuke felt compelled to say something. "What?" self-consciously he asked, willing away the pink tint on his cheeks. "I said a kiss for each win, and I won."

"In that case, I owe you quite a few more." All thoughts of playing left his mind, and with one hand, he placed the controller on the table while the other ran along the back of the couch slowly to grasp Sasuke's shoulder. Softly, he asked, "How many times have you won so far?"

"Um, I—I'm not sure." He stuttered; the moment he had Itachi's full attention and those bright black eyes practically pinning him in place, his heart picked up. Gradually he recognized the feeling growing inside was lust, and taking a moment to get over the surprise, it increased as he realized that his boyfriend had given him all the control over this advancement. Confidence surged back, matching his lust, and he went for it. "A lot." He shifted closer to being their legs touching, absentmindedly setting his controller down. "So you should probably get started."

Not wasting a moment, Itachi grabbed him and pulled the younger man onto his lap, bringing their mouths close with a short, contented sigh that blew pleasantly hot air over Sasuke's lips before they finally touched together. With their tongues almost aggressively intertwining, it was hard to concentrate on anything else. He squirmed in an effort to get more comfortable, but as he was lying on top of an as-yet-unfamiliar body, his movements were greater than he intended and his arms raced over the man's chest, seeking support to hold himself from crushing his boyfriend's lungs. Without meaning to, his hips and legs repeatedly brushed against the man's groin below him.

Before long, Itachi pulled him back from his mouth a few inches, regardless of the thin strand of saliva sticking to his chin, and held his hips steady. Sasuke froze at the sudden movement, only becoming aware of his accidental grinding at the touch of those warm hands heating his skin where they slipped between his undershirt and jeans. Slightly out of breath, Itachi panted, "Don't do that if you don't want to go all the way right here and now."

Contrary to his words, his own hips tilted upwards into Sasuke's now stationary groin, while his mouth took hold and ravaged Sasuke's mouth again. As he pushed his groin against the younger man's, he held him stationary by a hand on either hip and rubbed at the skin beneath his fingertips. Sasuke groaned slightly at the pressure against his groin—made worse by his tight jeans—and the caress. The other man moaned loudly when he aligned as best he could between the fabric their dicks. While Itachi was already there, Sasuke wasn't hard and though he completely enjoyed what they were doing and he hadn't jerked off in a while, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to get hard with only this.

That didn't mean he couldn't pleasure his boyfriend or derive a secondhand pleasure from doing it. Sliding his arms beneath Itachi's shoulders, he tugged on one and pushed on the other and Itachi, picking up on his intent, helping flip them over, not losing his mouth for a moment. Settling much more comfortably into the squishy couch under his boyfriend, where he felt protected by the heat radiating from the man and the limbs and torso covering his, he maneuvered his hand quickly down to grip him through his pants. He stilled absolutely for the briefest moment before renewing the kiss with greater passion. Sasuke squeezed it a few times, then ran his hand inside his shirt and stroked the skin of his abdomen until he no longer felt such a contrast between the temperature of his hand and the man above him. Skillfully the button was undone and the zipper pulled down, and with a few more quick movements he was holding his boyfriends manhood in his hand.

Until now he had been moaning heavily in between kisses, using one arm to stabilize himself and the other to play with the fringe at the younger man's neck, but the direct contact with his manhood tore a moan from his mouth and he bucked involuntarily into the hold. "Easy there. Hang on a moment," he tried to sound confident but he was a touch nervous moving this quickly and anyway the kisses were too hot for him to calm down enough to waste effort on appearances. Sasuke released his hold and stuck a hand under the couch, searching, then diving between the cushions. "Here it is." Finally the lotion bottle was in his hand and he poured a bit out, rubbing his palms together to give it some heat. Slicker and steadier, he returned his hand to Itachi's dick and stroked it, drawing out a throaty moan.

"Ahhh... damn." Too out of breath to continue the onslaught of kisses, Itachi settled for giving the odd lick to Sasuke's neck, the only skin his mouth could reach as he leaned his weight into back of the couch along his side and the other hand stayed on Sasuke's hip, massaging with his fingertips the bit of flesh peeking out. The older man's eyes glanced down at his boyfriend's hands moving over his flesh, and the very sight made him shudder. "So hot."

Faster and faster his hand moved, slickly over his flesh, until he couldn't take it anymore and came with a grunt. "Sorry… you're going to need to go change your shirt now, huh?"

"It can wait. I'm quite comfortable. Can we stay like this for a bit?"

"Of course." He smiled. "Do you need me to… take care of you?"

"What? No, no I'm fine." The response was a vaguely offended look. "I mean, it's not like I don't want it, you know? Just, well, my sex drive's been pretty much dead until I met you. I'd rather go slowly for a bit."

He nodded. "I can live with that."

They straightened again, and Itachi started pulling off Sasuke's shirt. "Hey!"

"You're going to want to put this in the wash soon. And speaking of soon, I should leave."

"Already?" he asked, unaware of how childlike the word had come out.

"Yeah. Remember when you told me in the car before that you needed to work on your homework?"

"Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't remember," he groaned. "Homework's booooring."

"Nevertheless, I will not be a negative influence on your grades. They actually matter in college."

"Yeah, I know." He walked him over to the door and handed him his still unfinished drink once he'd gotten his winter gear back on. "I'll see you on Friday?"

"Yeah. I'll come pick you up so you don't have to ride the bus. I'll have enough time between classes, so it won't be a problem." With a quick kiss, he left.

888

The first four notes on the piano gently prodded Sasuke from his slumber. They repeated, then the melody continued, slower than Naruto usually played it and clumsy, but it was the best awakening he'd had in years so he couldn't be bothered to open his eyes yet. He just lay under the warm covers while the music, muffled because of his closed door, led him down the imaginary path to the most peaceful place he could imagine—the center of the garden maze at the Hyuuga estate. He thought he heard the clicking of his door opening and closing, but if Naruto was playing then surely he had imagined the noise. A ghost of a touch rustled his blankets, and he warily peeked his eyes open.

Completely disregarding regular social conventions like "greetings" or "requests for permission" or "personal space," Gaara climbed right next to Sasuke in the bed. The brunette was wholly awake now, and started scooching swiftly back—his bed wasn't *that* big—but the redhead put a hand on his arm to stop him. "It's too noisy out there for sleeping, and you're keeping it warm in here." Even more than Naruto, Gaara hated the cold [by the time he'd arrived at The Home, there were rumors that his former foster parents had locked him in the freezer as punishments]. Thus, like a snake seeking a heat source, he'd wound up in everyone's bed at least twice until the older kids made a schedule for him, at which point the head of The Home used his personal money to buy the redhead his own electric blanket.

Yet old habits die hard, some never at all. "Aren't we too old for this?" Sasuke asked a bit wearily.

"Yes." He nodded back sleepily. "You should leave. It will soon be for you what Naruto calls 'time to go,' anyway." Looking for some context, he looked out the window, moving aside his blinds, and saw the snow piled lower than he expected. Try as he might, the redhead wouldn't answer any of his inquiries. In fact, he ignored Sasuke altogether and went to sleep, giving his friend little pushes to the edge of the bed as he did so.

The raven, confused and curious (and hungry) followed the music, intent on getting answers from his guardian, who wasn't supposed to be at home this late in the morning. However, the sight of Naruto home, cheerily playing the piano on a school day was not nearly so surprising as Naruto home, cheerily playing the piano on a school day with Itachi sitting next to him on the bench, attempting to imitate the melodious sound. Sasuke was suddenly very conscious of his unflattering pajama pants and t-shirt (courtesy of Naruto) proclaiming "The Angels have the Phone Box." Too late to change clothes, or to fix his weird-ass bed head, because the blonde gleefully sang out to him, "Guess what? Snnnnooooooow daaaaaaaay!" His fingers ran over the shiny keys despite his usual lack of multitasking skills.

This drew Itachi's eyes from their perusal of the sheet music towards Sasuke. The usual slight smile that seeing his boyfriend brought to his face was infused with smirky attitude. A little annoyed that Itachi had again appeared so suddenly and was once again seeing him when he wasn't at his best, he decided to quash all urges to make an excuse to escape to his room to fix himself up. If he did that, Naruto would surely tease him later about acting like a girl.

Instead, he plopped down on the couch, acting as causal as he could so soon after waking. "Yeah, I saw the snow. Doesn't look like much, but I suppose it was enough to delay the buses, huh?" Naruto nodded in answer, finishing up the piece. Remembering that he was hungry and deciding to get his 'father' to feed him, he thought for a moment before figuring the roundabout route was best, considering Naruto's playful mood this morning. "Why'd you let Gaara go sleep in my bed?"

"I didn't know that was where he went. Distractions abound." He gestured to the man sharing the piano bench with him. "I've been trying to show Itachi the music, but he's a troublesome student."

"I pay attention, and I can tell you what all these notes and chords are," he replied defensively.

"You have all the information right, and you're a genius or whatever," Sasuke bit his lip at the expression that comment caused—'or whatever?'—Itachi seemed displeased that his intelligence was grouped with 'whatever.' "But you lack the coordination to play it yourself, that rhythm within the music."

"There's no need to worry about whether I can keep a rhythm, Naruto, and I am coordinated enough with my hands enough for… other things." The low reply was clearly a jest, though Naruto's ears looked a bit pinker and hurriedly he changed the topic.

"I'm a bit afraid to see how you've drawn Sasuke." The blonde teased in retaliation; Uchiha smiled easily back at him.

"I'll let you see at the end of the semester, when I submit my portfolio." The man promised.

Although Sasuke was curious to see the drawings too, he was nothing less than a man and so his stomach had priority. "Hey daaad," he interjected, drawing out the nickname, held in reserve for when he wanted to appeal to his best friend's sense of duty. "You're really awesome at piano," he paused for a fraction of a second, just to see the unshakeable Naruto—still not used to praise—positively blush at the compliment, "I'm betting you could make me a beautiful breakfast, too."

The blonde laughed good-naturedly, and abandoned the piano. "Alright, alright. Though it's actually lunch now, you little sleepy head." He ruffled the raven's hair as he walked past. "Haven't you noticed the time? And Itachi's here to pick you up. Though I think," he lowered his voice to a loud whisper that was clearly audible, "I think it's just an excuse to see my gorgeous face." He smiled cheekily, assembling the necessary ingredients.

"Oh no. You've seen right through me." Came the deadpan reply, though when Itachi saw Sasuke's scowl starting to form, he smiled a bit.

Joking or not, Sasuke could not help but feel a touch jealous that his boyfriend was saying such things to someone else. Then again, it was only Naruto. Distraction came in the form of Uchiha standing from the bench and pointing with his eyes to the videogames, reminding the younger man of the other day when they had played.

Still uncomfortable with opening up his relationship in front of his sort-of-dad, he commented on something that he noticed since he'd walked out of his room. "You're smiling quite a lot. Did something special happen, or are you excited about the snow too?"

"Actually, something did happen. I found out," he checked his watch, "about an hour ago that not only has my father gone out of town, he's stuck there because of the snow. We don't have much here, obviously, or I wouldn't be here, but just knowing that there's extra distance between us sweeps the clouds away and makes the air taste cleaner."

As Naruto started singing about sunny days, Uchiha moved closer to the younger man where he was slumped on the couch until he was right next to him. He bent over a bit. "Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm not going to let them interfere with any of us. Naruto, you haven't gotten any suspicious letters, have you?"

The blonde shook his head, unsure of the context. "Let me know, then, because there's a chance my brother might try to bother you. And you, Sasuke," he said, poking the wrinkles starting to form between the boy's brows, smoothing them out. "You'll need to get changed. If you've got snow gear, I'd bring it. With this snow, Kiba's probably pulled together a snowball fight and we'll need extra time to navigate through the war zones. After class, though, it could be fun to join in."

Sasuke nodded; he'd had his share of snowball fights as a kid, and he had to admit he sort of missed it. "Once Gaara gets out of my room. Don't want to change with him in there." Migrating to the kitchen, he followed his nose to the flavorful fruit that Naruto was dressing his breakfast with. "So why is Gaara here? You've got a snow day, Itachi's here to flirt with you, apparently," he rolled his eyes at the wink Naruto tossed Itachi's way, "but shouldn't Gaara be at his own home? Not that having him here is bad. Just knowing him, he's comfortable in his own environment."

"He claims the dorms are too cold and drafty for him, and his adoptive brother and sister aren't willing to pay as much money to jack up the heat like I do. Plus he was already here when we got the news about the school cancellation."

Satisfied with this answer, Sasuke nodded, though there were now more important things to ask. Five things, to be precise. "What the hell is going on with my pancakes?" He asked, giving the five pancakes on his plate an odd look, tilting and turning the plate in an attempt to figure out the shapes.

"They're for a story idea I've been thinking about. About ninjas and friendship and determination. These symbols," gesturing to his batter formations, "are for each of the five secret cities. What do you think?"

The raven studied them carefully before choosing the squiggly lines to eat first. "They're simple designs, so it should work." He poked another one with his fork as he selected a strawberry from that side of his plate. "This one kind of looks like a snail fell over."

"Hmm. I'm going to think on it some more before I bother writing anything yet. It's just for my class, so it's no big deal, really. And I've got plenty of ideas. How do you feel about a story with pirates who have superpowers looking for the ultimate treasure?"

"Pirates are out this year. I think zombies are in at this point."

"Then, card games where the monsters become real and multiple personalities." Naruto apparently had a rather large list of story ideas, as he put out one as soon as one was knocked down.

"Sounds like you'd end up with an infinite number of monsters."

"Card games on motorcycles?"

"Wouldn't the cards fly all over the place?" Itachi chimed in. "Some things should done on stationary surfaces." His smirk told the other two exactly what kind of things he meant.

"A bunch of good ghosts battle bad ghosts and maintain order in the afterlife."

"Well, if they're ghosts they're already dead," Gaara, appearing suddenly—quite like a ghost himself—pointed out, "so would anybody really ever win, if nobody can die? You'd have to define very exactly what defeat and death mean, and create a set of rules for aging processes and illnesses, not to mention an elaborate hierarchy for the afterlife, involving loads and loads of characters."

"A boy tries to take over the world with the best intentions but questionable, if incredible, methods."

"It might work. But he'd have to be able to control either people or death. World domination isn't possible otherwise; funding, manpower, and politics aside, some kind of massive superpower is necessary." All three turned to Itachi, surprised at his answer. He shrugged. "One of my friends from my first college wanted to take over the world, but no matter what plan we (jokingly) came up with, there was no way around it: either take free will or control death." He thought for a moment. "Well, maybe controlling time would work, but since we can't I suggest you ready yourself to leave, Sasuke."

Taking note of the time, he did as bid, and by the time he was ready to depart, Itachi had secured a promise from Naruto for piano lessons when their spare time matched up. Bidding a cheerful goodbye to Naruto and Gaara, they left for class, admiring the shiny, snowy scenery. They shared a peaceful, gentle silence as the sleek car effortlessly handled the iceless yet slick roads. One of Sasuke favorite things about this natural relationship with Itachi was the comfortable silence. Neither felt compelled to speak, as both treasured the silence hanging over them, soft as snow. At some point during the drive their hands had met and the warmth seemed to spread up Sasuke's arm and settle somewhere in his chest.

The class was rowdy, enjoying the early morning snow but bemoaning that they had to go to class despite the weather and the report of another snowfall within the next hour. Their professor strolled in late, even for him; Kakashi was so notoriously late that the university made a point to tell him his class started fifteen minutes before it actually did, and after the first week all his students knew to arrive at a standard of five minutes after their official schedules said to.

"Today," he announced in that lazy way of his, like even his words were taking their time leaving his mouth, "we're going to do a few quick sketches. Just get as much as you can done within the time restraints." Amid the grumbling, Kiba started to organize a snowball fight, writing down who was in and trying to make even teams on the side of his drawing space. "If you all shut up now and do it hard and fast," he ignored Kiba's hushed 'that's what she said,' "I'll let you out early." That quieted everyone surprisingly suddenly.

Kakashi had Sasuke just go with what he was wearing, coats and all, for convenience. Every ten or fifteen minutes he changed something like his coat, scarf, or gloves, and altered his pose. All the students, without exception, worked harder than Sasuke had ever seen. The skritchy-scratch of pencils hastily working on paper, as all students abandoned their personal preferences in materials for the simplicity of lead, made their model feel like he had an itch in his ear, but the time passed quickly with such strict time limits.

Nearly halfway through the class time, a gunshot rang loud through the room and echoed up to the high ceiling. Everyone jumped, shouting in surprise and panic and turning to face the one side of the classroom, all staring at Uchiha, who alone sat frozen and looking half-horrified. The shotgun repeated, triggering a reaction from the longhaired man and he ruffled quickly through his bag, reaching for his phone and answering it. Realizing that the dreadful noise had merely been his ringtone, the rest of the class sat down and resumed their work, ignoring Itachi's conversation.

"Yes. Are you sure?" A pause. "No, it won't be a problem." He glanced out the window, and seeing the newly, rapidly falling snow, he recalculated. "Actually, expect a delay." A third pause, this one longest of all. "No. I'll take care of it. And about nine." As he hung up, he packed his things; the moment he hung up he met Kakashi-sensei halfway, who'd started walking towards his student when he'd picked up the phone.

"Hope he gets into trouble."

"Who answers their phone during class?"

"Come on. It's probably an emergency or something. Why else would he be packing up his stuff?" Sakura defended Itachi's actions, her own way of repaying his help the other day. It was a bold attempt to hush those who only followed the rumors and knew one side of a very long story.

Sasuke was too worried about what the phone call had been about to pay mind to the conversation going on. He strained his ears, but he couldn't catch a word of the hushed conversation; only the ending was audible to him. "Thank you, Hatake-sensei. I thought it would never… well, thank you." The professor patted his back sympathetically, with the air of an old friend, and resumed his post atop the heaters, alternating between reading and observing his class.

Uchiha simultaneously fished for his keys and scribbled a short message on the corner of some paper. With all his things collected, he strode purposefully towards the platform. Disregarding his only task—sitting still and not moving a muscle—Sasuke climbed swiftly to his feet and moved closer to accept the scrap of paper from Itachi's outstretched hand. Since the majority of the class had restarted their drawings after being startled by Itachi's ringtone, and therefore had only the most basic lines so far, and on top of that were curious about the interaction in front of them, they didn't mind focusing on the different expression that had illuminated their subject's face.

With an unconvincing smile, Itachi handed over the note. "I'm sorry. I won't be able to drive you home today."

"I'm not worried about that," waving the apology aside while letting Itachi know he was worried about him. "Don't even think you're fooling me with that fake smile." He replied, suppressing his curiosity because he was sure that the note held a satisfactory explanation.

The answering expression was apologetic, but resolute. "Of course not. I'll see you next week. Good luck. Be safe." With a clink of his keys and a swish of his coat, he was gone.

Hardly a moment after the door shut, the inquiries began. "So what was that about?" The loud blonde woman sitting near the front asked.

He pretended to read it, though the glimpse already showed the words were far less helpful than he'd been anticipating. It wasn't her business, nor any of theirs, really, so he felt no guilt about lying to them. "He's a friend of my father's, so he's been driving me home." He gestured to the paper in his hand, careful not to let them see any of the words actually written there. "This is just the bus schedule, so I can hop on later." It was maybe halfway true, but as even that much went against his instinct to reveal as little as possible about himself he figured he was doing reasonably well. All thanks to Itachi, of course. He tugged open the note properly, musing that though Naruto and Neji, even Gaara supported him, it was different having someone intent on pulling him out of the quicksand of despair, that frightful feeling of misery that dragged him down, invisible, swallowing him up and smothering him until he could hardly move.

However, his first impression was right: the contents were extremely disappointing in way of explanation.

'Watch out for Orochimaru. Let me know if anything happens. Be safe, kitten.' At the end were Itachi's initials, probably put there out of habit then necessity.

No explanation, no hint of where he was going? Somewhere a bit far, if he wasn't to arrive until nine. Assuming that by 'nine' he'd meant the time, and not something else.

No phone number or way to reach him? He'd already looked up his boyfriend on the social networking sites and even in the phone book, but for whatever reason the man wasn't listed anywhere. Then again, if he were dodging his brother to avoid harassment, it made sense, but still—it'd be nice to have a way to contact him.

And worse, the return of the nickname? He certainly didn't think he resembled the cat at all.

On the other hand, he now held in his hand a note directly from his boyfriend, the first he'd seen of Itachi's handwriting, and he officially had a pet name, though the jury was still out on whether the 'pet' pun was good or bad. While his thoughts dwelt in memories of the other afternoon he'd spent with his boyfriend, the images dancing before his mind's eye, he was completely unaware that his face had become a stage to his emotions. His audience, studying and meticulously recreating his warm and tender expression, was long forgotten.

When Kakashi noticed how dutifully his class worked, he allowed them extra time. Of course, he couldn't help noticing that their model looked particularly fun to draw at the just then, too. It was only when the snow outside began to pile up to the beginnings of dangerous heights that he gave his class the dismissal. "Travel safely, everyone. I hate funerals." On that happy note, he vanished down the hallway.

With their primary leader gone, Kiba hopped up to the platform, unintentionally scooching Sasuke over as he reassembled his scattered winter wear. "Alright! This is gonna be a clean game." He drew a quick diagram of the battleground, labeling the boundaries as he grouped those who chose to fight into fairly equal teams. "Headshots don't count. All seconds are Mississippi seconds, Ino. Anybody putting rocks or blocks of ice into their ammo gets reported to the campus security, which will probably lead to assault charges or something like that. And, what else, what else... oh, right! The first team to have all team members out at the same time loses."

He surveyed the teams, nodding his head as he did so. "OK. We all set?" The teams seemed fair, and they so they headed out. Sasuke was surprised to find himself being dragged along by the ringleader. "Wait! I have to catch my bus soon. If I miss it, I'll have to wait an hour and with this snow, it might get canceled."

Kiba waved his objection aside as they headed outside, the art student leaving his possessions in the storage spots in the safety of the classroom. "We'll figure out the carpooling later, so come play with us."

"I have homework." He wasn't sure he wanted to play; and he really should finish up that paper for tomorrow.

"It's fine. Naruto trusts me to take care of you, and that includes making sure you socialize. We're fun. Really."

"He certainly doesn't trust you to show up at work on time," was the mumbled reply. Any he certainly wasn't so bad that he needed someone to help him socialize! Though now that he thought about it, he'd been a bit reclusive lately. He had reasons, and few would disagree that they were legitimate, but he supposed he could be a little more social. And so he decided to stay.

"Besides," he added as he fixed his scarf to stop the much colder air of the outside, much colder than it had been a few hours ago, from stealing his heat, "we need you to win. You look like you have good fighting instincts." They dodged a few preliminary shots as they made their way to the place where their teammates had chosen to construct their team's snow fort. "Hey, where's Hinata? I just saw her, so I thought she was staying to play with us."

Sasuke started at the name, and, placing the name with the most likely face that he could remember from the class, wondered if she was Neji's Hinata. Really, that would be just too many coincidences. Quite ridiculous.

"She's got the awesomest aim. Like a legit sniper, I swear. I was depending on her to take out people from a distance. Ritsuka, start making snowballs. We're going to need a lot of ammo for this. Orochi, you've got to make that wall a bit thicker." Sasuke had no problem making perfect snowballs that held their shape; Orochimaru winced in distaste at the nickname, but Sasuke thought it looked more like a reflex so he was probably used to Kiba's abbreviations. Anyhow, he seemed pacified that Kiba was working harder than they were at strengthening the fort and adding to the ammo pile. "Any word from Shino?"

After she sent the text message, Sakura jammed her freezing fingers back into her gloves. "Hinata said she had other things to do today, but your boyfriend should be here any moment." She checked out her team; Kiba had fought her out of tough spots before, and Orochimaru had proven himself in snow battle a few weeks earlier. Ritsuka, odd and unfamiliar as he seemed to be, looked like he'd handled worse than this. Shino was golden, she knew, because Kiba wouldn't lie or joke about talent when it came to snowball fights. Kiba considered them to be Snowball Battles, and therefore Serious Business. Her team felt decent enough, though they'd never all worked together like this. "Can we really beat them, though?"

"Don't doubt me. I got it all figured out. you focus on Ino, Orochi's our strategist against Shikamaru; Shino's got Tenten, cause they're both used to handling a massive amount of weapons, you see; Ritsuka will get Rock Lee because they're both sort of the wild cards here, and I'm taking out Tsunade because she purposefully hit me in the face last year at every battle. Plus, it's not fair for Ino to call her older sister in to lead their team."

"You called Shino in. He's not an art student, much less attending our college. At least Ritsuka has been to our classes."

"Details, details." Kiba brushed all that away, brushing away some snow to make a clear spot for coming up with strategies. "Go ahead, Orochi. What's the plan?"

The pale man told everyone their duties, drawing in the snow to make his instructions clear. It was simple but that only made it easier to implement. The pincer move was a classic, and would be effective. Sasuke couldn't help but admire Orochimaru a bit. Any unease he felt at the reminder of his promise not to be near Orochimaru faded, even as he was super aware of the precious note in his inner coat pocket. With the dwindling anxiety, feelings of excitement grew; his memories of snowball fights reminding his body of what to do. Kiba checked that both teams were ready, and gave the signal to begin. Moves and habits learned from his childhood Snow Wars were strong, and Sasuke didn't have to think much, just dodge, aim, throw, and duck again.

Kiba's team appeared to be winning, but it soon became apparent that they were playing right into Shikamaru's plan. On top of that, his roommate Chouji had been walking out of the dining hall and decided to join, along with Tsunade's cousin Shizune who'd gotten out of her class late. Sakura's foot started to hurt from her slight injury the other day, so she kept the stockpile of ammo full, but it soon became clear that unless they thought of something brilliant, they were going to lose.

A temporary ceasefire was called, to protect non-players from being hit, because Kiba had added this to the rules of engagement since an unfortunate incident a few weeks ago where a girl had gotten hit and her boyfriend tried to beat up Kiba. So the stream of people exiting the Dining Hall and heading back to their dorms gave them a brief but welcome intermission.

Some used the opportunity to slip into the dining hall and warm up with a hot drink. Since Sasuke didn't attend the college and therefore didn't have a student pass to enter the cafeteria, Kiba volunteered to take him back into the building where their class had been to go to the bathroom and warm their hands with the hand dryers.

Unused to silence, and figuring this was as good a time as any, Sasuke ventured the question he'd been pondering for a while. "Why does Itachi hate Orochimaru?"

"I'd've thought you'd know." Kiba replied unhelpfully. But he apparently did know more than he initially let on, and explained as he shoved his wet gloves under the dryer, shaking them impatiently. "See, on the first day of class, Uchiha was actually kinda friendly. Class was just starting, and we didn't know yet that we were supposed to show up late—we hadn't had Kakashi-sensei yet, so we didn't know what he was like yet, and anyway Sakura was talking to Uchiha. It wasn't like he was going to go out with her or anything, but at least she wasn't crying yet, but the second Orochimaru walked in, Uchiha said something really rude to her—she still hasn't told me what—and marched right over to Orochimaru. Now, I have to admit, at first sight, I thought Orochi looked like Freddy Krueger—he just had that sort of psychopathic tilt to his smile, even though he's a pretty decent guy. Mostly," he added, "but every now and then we see him hanging out after class with some shady people.

"Never mind that, though. Uchiha walks right up to him and without so much as a how-do-you-do suckerpunches him in the face. Solid hit, knocked Orochimaru over and he could hardly see out of his eye for a bit, not to mention the swelling on his cheek. He didn't fight back, never pressed charges or anything. You've seen how laid-back Kakashi is; he's pretty well known for it. But he had just walked into the classroom then, and when he pulled Uchiha away he was fuckin' furious. Kakashi-sensei dragged him out into the hallway, they had a nice long chat and I guess sensei sent him home, but the next class he was back, sitting quietly to the side all by himself, looking guilty but not a bit like he regretted it. It's hard to explain, but it was scary seeing hardcore rage in somebody's expression, pure hatred concentrated in one blow. I'd love to draw it—it'd come out awesome! There was an animalistic quality to the whole scene, powerful but controlled. It'd give anybody the goose bumps, I swear.

"Anyway, so we've been ignoring him because really, what kind of person attacks another like that? And Orochi wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details. He said something vague about things in the past, and then since he's kinda weird it's not like we've been bonding all this time anyway. Just, Uchiha was scary, and art majors aren't exactly known for being the toughest crowd, you know? We don't really want any trouble.

"So a few weeks later you come along, and suddenly he's like a normal person. He smiles and pays attention to us and looks, I dunno, human." The image he'd gotten of Itachi from Kiba's description seemed very different from what he'd seen. Then again, Kiba did not seem like one to lie. As far as Sasuke could tell, he had no motive to make this story up, and since this was a firsthand account, he couldn't even blame it on rumors. "But what tipped you off that Uchiha isn't a fan of Orochimaru?" Kiba asked.

There didn't seem to be any reason not to tell the truth, and as he was trying to get better at trusting people, he thought he might as well disclose the little he knew. "He had me promise to stay away from Orochimaru. And said that he's a liar." He added, absentmindedly patting his pocket where the note was kept.

"Like I said, we don't hang out with him a whole lot. Well, we didn't until just recently. Me and Sakura were hanging out at the lab where Shino's doing his internship and somehow got involved in a snowball fight—" Sasuke had a feeling he knew exactly how, and that it had to do with either Kiba's bad aim or loud mouth— "on the way back to Shino's dorm room. He showed up out of nowhere, his hair all messy and looked like he'd just been in a fight, but he took one look at us and backed us up without question. We defeated a team calling themselves Organization Thirteen. Fun battle. Couldn't have won it without him."

"Hey guys! It's almost time!" A shout down the hallway signaled it was time to gather again, and they went back to their fort and huddled together.

The one to speak first was Shino, who for whatever reason seemed eager to get home. "It's pointless. The other guys have had better execution, and they're not half as tired as we are. Let's just surrender so we can go."

"There's got to be a way we can win!" Kiba slammed his fist into the snow emphatically, sliding a sideways glare at the man beside him.

Sakura shook her head. "It just can't happen. We're outnumbered, and Shikamaru's the best. No offense." She added. But Orochimaru was nodding his head in agreement.

"None taken. It's true. Nevertheless, I'll give it my all." He wiped a space clear in the snow, his purple gloved hands elegantly redrawing the battleground. "Alright. The main problem is here," he pointed to Tsunade, "and here," pointing to Tenten. "Tsunade has decent aim, but her real strength is that she'd got Shizune backing her up and alternating their shots. Tenten has quite perfect aim, but she takes a few seconds longer to line up her shots, which is why we've been able to hit her so often, but also the reason we keep having simultaneous knockouts on that side. Unfortunately, backing her up is Rock Lee, who's actually their biggest asset." He smirked in reluctant admiration. "The guy's accuracy is nearly dreadful, but he can throw so many per minutes he's like a machine.

"Fortunately for us, Shikamaru probably doesn't plan on actually throwing a snowball himself—we won't count him as a fighter—and Ino has been paying much more attention to her phone than anything that's going on around her. We will use that to our advantage."

"What about Chouji? The snowball he hit me with before was practically the size of a watermelon, it was so huge."

"Yes, he's not exactly predictable. Half the time he fights like his life's on the line, and the other half of the time he's eating snow cones, using those little flavor-packets made for water that he's got hiding in his pockets."

"It sounds like you've got a plan, though." Kiba sounded defiantly optimistic.

The smile that Orochimaru gave their team leader reminded Sasuke of a mass murderer for an instant; yet it passed quickly and Sasuke made sure he paid attention to the plan. Despite his many issues and numerous weaknesses, he had his pride. He would not let down his team!

"Yes. It maximizes our strengths quite nicely. Sakura stays here, as our cover-fire and our safety." He faced the pink-haired girl directly. "You must absolutely not get hit. Defend yourself, no matter what. Even if you have to run and find cover elsewhere. We might fail, but as long as you're still in we can start over." She nodded, accepting this grave responsibility. Next were Kiba and Shino, and he explained their parts to them as he tucked his impractically long hair back into his scarf and hood. "You two are going to take down Tsunade and Shizune."

Kiba pumped his fist excitedly in the air, all but bouncing in place as Orochimaru detailed their mission. "Focus on precision and dodging; once you've got them out, make sure you go for Chouji first. He'll probably get mad and fight seriously if you take out his roommate before him." With the utmost gravity, he addressed the last member of the team. "You, Ritsuka, are sticking with me as we bring down Rock Lee. He won't start firing until Tenten goes down, but once he does, there's not much of a chance. So we need to take them out at the same time. We'll be relying on aim and agility."

Sasuke nodded; and all the team looked at each other carefully, feeling that this was their last chance at victory; in the distance, the sun's last rays had vanished, their stomachs rumbled for dinner, and the meager campus lighting only added to the confusion of battle. Sakura's roommate Karin, who, though she thought herself too mature for their silly games had stayed to watch, stood from the park bench she was occupying and gave the signal that the way was clear of bystanders and that they could resume their fight. "Just hurry up and win, somebody. I'm starving, and Sakura promised to get me dinner today." She complained to whoever was listening, which at that precise moment was no one.

Yelling loudly, Kiba led their final charge. Raining down snowballs all over, Sakura threw as many as she could until she ran out. Whether Shikamaru hadn't expected this tactic (unlikely) or he had a counter plan, because Kiba and Shino took out their targets almost immediately; however, Chouji suddenly shot Shino right after. He and Kiba exchanged shits, further distracting Ino from aiding Tenten like she was supposed to. When she finally had a clear shot at Orochimaru, she abandoned it in favor of checking the text message she'd just received.

It read "UR OUT" with a smiley face sticking out its tongue.

Realizing her mistake at such a crucial moment, she looked up to shoot at Sakura, who winked as her last snowball hit Ino. The blonde didn't even have a chance to duck, and settled for glaring at her rival who was still smiling at her personal victory.

Tenten was having a difficult time aiming; she was tired, as it been a long day starting with digging her car out of the morning snow and, now that she thought about it, that was how it was going to end, too. But she valiantly kept going—even if Rock Lee wasn't rambunctiously cheering her on at an unnaturally loud volume next to her ear—her competitive spirit wouldn't let her just quit. In the midst of these thoughts, she felt the firm, cold smack of a snowball hit her left side.

"Tenten! NOOOOOOOOO!" Unable to deny the hit, she put her hands straight up in the air and carefully counted down her Mississippi seconds until she could rejoin the game, as per the rules. For only a moment more, Rock Lee mourned his fallen comrade. Then, he was throwing a constant stream of snowballs, alternating between the two spots on either side of the trash can where he could see the edges of Sasuke's coat and the tips of Orochimaru's boots.

"He's got us pinned! If we don't hurry, time will be up and then Tsunade, Shizune, Tenten, and Ino will come back in and we'll have to start over!" Sasuke said earnestly in a hushed tone. He and Orochimaru were sitting extremely close behind their makeshift cover out of necessity, but Sasuke really didn't have any time to freak out about the proximity. Despite the cold, sweat had begun to bead on their foreheads. Wisps of hair escaped from their hoods and scarves, and clumps of snow were stuck in the bits of their coats. The other man leaned right into his ear, whispering between panting breaths that warmed the side of Sasuke's face, "as soon as I stand, hit from the right." Understanding immediately the sacrifice he was proposing, Sasuke shook his head. If anybody should go down, it should be him—Orochimaru's aim was better than his anyway. But Orochimaru grabbed Sasuke's hand and squeezed, saying, "Shut up. And good luck," though if he hadn't seen it he would hardly have known through their thick gloves. It encouraged him anyhow, though he'd have to analyze it later to find out why the touch didn't bother him.

"COME OUT, CRETINOUS COWARDS!" Shouted Rock Lee in frustration.

The next instant, Orochimaru leapt up, screaming at the top of his lungs, "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?" and ran recklessly right at Rock Lee, drawing his attention and taking as many hits as he could. At the third hit to his chest, he fell on the spot, face first into the snow. But there was hope. As ordered, Uzumaki took advantage of the distraction and hit Rock Lee in the kneecap and again in the abdomen. Lee went down, wailing dramatically.

Only Chouji and Shikamaru were left, but in another two seconds their teammates would join back in. In his haste, Sasuke's shot at Chouji's back went a bit wild. Somehow, it still hit Shikamaru's shoulder, near his chest, and taking him out of the game. The sound of his roommate getting hit distracted Chouji and Kiba took the chance and got the large man right in the back, thereby winning the battle.

Kiba jumped high in the air, howling wildly in victory as all his team added their own shouts of joy. The losers slumped, grumbling and punching the ground. In particular, Shikamaru was peeved. Well, as peeved as he ever got. "I accounted for every possibility. Ino's told me everything she knows about all of you." He frowned at Orochimaru and Sasuke specially, holding the pair responsible for his defeat. "So how did we lose?"

"That's the power of guts! The triumph of fighting spirit over logic! We kick reason to the curb and do the impossible!" Kiba yelled with every ounce of air in his lungs. He dragged everyone into a group hug, too enthusiastic about victory to pay any attention to Sasuke's half-hearted attempts to escape the clutch. Orochimaru gave him a sympathetic look, but he was too squashed by Sakura's boobs to do much.

The long fight was ended. Those who had bags and personal belongings in the classroom collected them, and they headed for their cars. Merrily, Sasuke walked to the bus stop, double-checking his watch and seeing that he had plenty of time before the last bus arrived. Though something didn't seem right… a third glance at his watch prompted a look at his cell phone, which showed a much later time. "Damn!" he cursed. The watch must have frozen during the fight, and now he was stuck here.

Well, not stuck. He could call Naruto, who was technically responsible for him at a time like this. But he didn't want to stress him out any more than he had already; even if stress wasn't the issue, the blonde would take at least an hour to get here because it was extremely unlikely that he'd bothered to clean off his car, and that would be after he spent forever bundling up against the cold.

The next logical choice would be Neji, but his uncle had just passed away. Regardless of the distance or intimacy, it just wasn't right to bother a friend more than necessary during the grieving period. And it's not like it's an emergency. He turned around to head back to the building, figuring he could just bum a ride from Kiba.

Only to see him going past in the passenger seat of Shino's car, and Sakura and her roommate Karin in the back.

So much for that plan.

So now it came down to calling either Neji, which didn't really seem in the spirit of friendship, or Naruto, who would take so long it'd just be easier to walk. He sat on the bench, phone in hand, toggling between the two names. Eeny-meeny-miny-mo had nearly come to an end when he was approached. Orochimaru, cleaned up and hair neatly brushed from the messy snowball fight after a quick visit to the school's restroom, half-smiled at him. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes. I'm just fine." He impulsively lied. Then he thought about it. it'd be much more convenient to get this man to drive him home instead of waiting for Naruto—and if he felt weird, he could always direct him to Neji's house and get their housekeeper to drop him off on her way home.. It's not like the guy was going to kidnap him, and if he tried anything he'd the police or something. "Though I could actually use a ride home, if you're headed that way." He gestured down the street towards where he lived. This could work to his advantage, really; it'd be a great opportunity to find out what was going on between this man and his boyfriend.

"Yeah, the shortest route home is that way. I could drop you off no problem. My car's over this way." He patiently waited while Sasuke gathered his book bag and they walked purposefully to the parking lot, Orochimaru constantly retucking his long, long hair into his hood and leading the way to a plain, dark blue four-door car.

For a moment, Sasuke looked at it with surprise. "This is your car?"

He received a frown. "…yes?" He unlocked the doors. "That is why I have the keys. It's not like I stole it or anything."

"And this is your only car?" The careless question slipped out. Way to be subtle, he chastised himself.

"Yes," he replied a touch frostily. "I share this car with my step-father. Not all of us can afford Italian sports cars."

"I didn't mean—I just thought that—" what should he say? That he thought he had a different car because he suspected that he followed him the other week? Luckily lying was a habit. "I could have sworn that this was Kakashi-sensei's car. And there's nothing wrong with practicality; my guardian has a car older than this that we share sometimes." It didn't quite smooth out the bumps, but the shuffle into the car and moving the items off the front seat—tools of some sort—was conducted with a little less ice on Orochimaru's part.

"Well, where to?" The older man followed his directions without comment. The silence felt awkward, and Sasuke had a looming worry that he would eventually be asked about himself things he didn't want to talk about, so he led off the conversation.

"So what made you choose art? This is your major, I'm assuming, not merely a hobby?"

Apparently grateful for the silence to end, he responded with fervor. "I had to fight my mother for it, and when she finally left, my step-father urged me to try. I just had to raise the money first, which is why, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm older than most of my classmates." Every statement was loaded with potential, but the tricky part would be picking the one that would cause the least amount of trouble.

"You're older? I couldn't tell." He lied kindly, trying to make his car companion feel at ease. "Not more than a year or two."

"Well, more like four or five—I'm 28—but that's only a year and a half behind Kakashi-sensei, so I guess I feel the years more." There were so many questions that Sasuke wanted to ask now, about his motivations, his family, and of course about what was between him and Itachi, that he was caught off guard by the genuine interest he felt. Yet he hardly knew where to start so it took the pressure off when the man continued. "We even went to the same high school. Of course, he was ahead of me, but I some him in the hallways sometimes and I knew who he was. We actually had one of my other profs there too—the blonde pottery professor, Deidara-sensei. Oh, that's right; you met him the other day. And then—" the sentence cut off abruptly and his teeth clicked with the force of shutting his mouth.

"Look, I don't know what he told you, all I can be sure is that he warned you about me. Itachi, I mean. It was a private high school, so I guess it was good enough for little geniuses, and I tried to be nice because I felt sorry for him. Barely a teen, half as tall as everyone else, dashing from class to class with his head held high and reading during study breaks and lunch… how could I not try to reach out to him? I tried to befriend him, but the spoiled brat made a fuss. Now he's going around causing trouble for me." He paused, collected himself and sighed. "I'm not trying to make you dislike him or anything. But it wouldn't be fair for you to find out about his real personality too late."

Those same words, spoken to him before about his past boyfriends, struck a chord. So even though he knew he had promised Itachi to stay away from Orochimaru, it was hard to deny that an outside perspective could have saved him from hurting before. Though he was still curious, "why? Why do you care?"

For a while, Sasuke thought he wasn't getting an answer. Then "I don't understand the question."

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

There was more silence, frowning, and a few attempts to start. Eventually he said, "You seem like a sweet kid. It would be unfortunate if you got hurt because of him or his family."

"You think his family would hurt me? That his brother would come after me?" A nervousness he hadn't been fully aware of heightened his voice slightly. "Isn't that a little extreme, harassing your brother's lovers out of spite?"

"Half-brother," was said reflexively, and clearly Orochimaru hadn't really meant to say it. "I've known Itachi's half-brother for a while. While it's no excuse for all his behavior, he never was treated fairly by anyone in that family. It's surprising he's doing as well as he is now, given the stress he's been under his entire life."

A few arguments sprung to mind, but since he didn't really have any objective information, and all his knowledge of the situation had been hearsay, regardless of reliable testimony, it wasn't fair to either side to condemn anyone yet. Though this was certainly a very different perspective than he'd gotten used to; Orochimaru had a face that didn't exactly inspire warmth and friendship and trust. Still, there seemed to be a whole other side going on here now that Sasuke was paying attention. No, that wasn't it. He was always paying attention—too much attention—it's more like being able to really see what's going on, all because he stopped being so—

Just as they were nearly at his house, and Sasuke was giving the final directions, Naruto called him. It was expected, since he'd forgotten to call and say that he'd be home late for the snowball fight. Instead the blonde told him (once Sasuke had explained how he was arriving home) to head straight to the Hyuuga estate because they were having a small celebration to honor Toph, Neji's thirteen year old sister, who had just gotten her black belt.

New directions given, Sasuke relaxed a bit more. It was hard to believe he was in a small space with a person who was, if not a stranger, then definitely strange and in some ways a bit creepy. But then, that was changing too, and he began to wonder more and more if he had just been judging people all wrong from the start.

Their arrival was greatly anticipated. Once the gate had been cleared and they were in the driveway, Naruto was happily running through the doors, Suki not far behind. They hugged Sasuke immediately, and after a pause managed to convince Orochimaru to step in for just a minute to warm up.

The introductions were rather awkward, though. "Orochimaru, meet my guardian Naruto, one of my closest friends Neji, his younger sisters, Suki and Toph, and his parents. Everyone, this is Orochimaru, my…" His what? Not classmate. Few could say they were friends already. Coworker seemed closest, but still wasn't right. "He's in the art class I sit for, and offered to give me a ride home." Neji kept trying to catch his eye, but there were far too many distractions to focus on one thing.

Somehow, the five minutes to warm back up turned into an hour. And a pleasant hour it was; dinner had just been laid out and the housekeeper pulled out a bit of wine, for she couldn't help but dote on the tough little Toph. After Toph told the tale of her achievement several times over, growing epically each time, Naruto turned the conversation around. "And why were you two so late? Up to something? Hmmm?" He laughed a little too loudly. Mrs. Hyuuga just made it worse by refilling his wine glass.

Red highlighted young Uzumaki's cheeks in involuntary irritation at the very notion of disloyalty to his boyfriend—he'd never had a problem with unfaithfulness, for all his relationship issues—but his denials were drowned out by laughter. Orochimaru, noticing that the boy was a bit uncomfortable but not very forthcoming with his real relationship status, launched into the story of the snowball fight. By the end of it, even Suki, who had been put off a bit by his strange gold eyes, was enraptured with the pale man's storytelling.

The blonde enjoyed hearing their play-byplay story of the epic snowball fight, musing that Sasuke really was seeming more and more like his old self; that quiet excitement shining in his eyes, the dark grey color belying the liveliness beneath.

"And so we won, thanks to Sasuke." With a start, Sasuke realized that the whole dinner Orochimaru been using his real name. Obviously, he figured it out when they'd arrived, but he wasn't making a big deal out of it so there probably wasn't anything to worry about.

"Hey, you took the shots necessary for victory. It sounds like an equal share of the praise to the both of you," Neji commented appreciatively. All this talk made him miss the good old days when he hung out with Sasuke and Naruto at The Home, when they'd spend all day playing outside until his father had to drag him back home at the end of the day.

"Now, I know you youngsters could stay up all night talking," Mr. Hyuuga cut in, "but it is near midnight and some of us have school tomorrow." As his pale eyes looked around the table, he reassessed. "Actually, all of us have school tomorrow." Leaving their son in charge of dispatching chores and taking care of their guests, they said their goodbyes and left to prepare their lesson plans for the next day. There was a brief but direct argument about homework, though his sisters could only concede defeat when it came to schoolwork; a short conversation with the housekeeper settled their arrangements for the night, and finally Neji was walking the three to the door.

"Thanks for coming over! It's good to have people to celebrate, regardless of the occasion. Dad needed something to cheer him up a bit, and this definitely did the trick." His voice dropped to a hushed tone. "I'm sorry Hanabi wouldn't come out of her room. We've had some food sent up to her, but she's hardly picked at it. Sent it back down barely touched." Worry dominated, even though he'd said several times during class the other day that he couldn't care less about his bratty cousin.

"What about Hinata? Have you found her yet? She was always so sweet." Naruto covered his slurs quite well, but if he was to teach tomorrow, they needed to leave right away so he could start recovering.

A strained smile graced Neji's thin mouth. "Not yet. But we'll talk more about this later—you need to get yourself together. We can bluff through class, but you have to go to work." He patted them on the back and tossed Sasuke the keys from the blonde's coat pocket. With an unwarranted formality, he shook the hand of his third guest. "Orochimaru. Nice to meet you. I expect we'll see you again soon." The man nodded, but wasn't sure what was to make of that, so he helped them get Naruto in the car and buckled. The man fell asleep almost immediately, like a toddler who spent every waking moment running, then as soon as he was still fell dead asleep to recharge all his energy. "Good night guys!" Neji dashed inside the house, shaking the slush off his slippers.

They shut the door on the blonde, and they looked at each other for a moment, finally alone since the confusion started. "So…" the older man shivered. "It's freezing, and I really need to get home, so I'll make this quick. Your real name?"

"Until I decide to say, it's none of your business." He said firmly, just so the man understood his stance. "But since you already know, yes, it's Sasuke. I value my privacy, so if we could keep this between us I'd appreciate it."

Yellow eyes grew cloudy with thought. The night was cold and the hour late, so there really was no reason to stay any longer. "Right. I'll keep that in mind. Are you alright to drive?"

"Yeah. I had maybe a quarter of a glass. Wasn't really in the mood to get as bad as him." He jerked his thumb to his friend in the car. "You?"

"Just fine. I have a decently high tolerance to begin with, but I didn't take much more than you did. Knew I'd have to drive in this icy weather." They looked up, and the sky punctuated the remark with the beginning of a flurry. Snowflakes fell softly and soon covered the roads once more. "Well, good night then. Oh wait—" he pulled out his cell phone. "What's your number?"

"What?" Finally a bold move, but from the wrong person. Again he berated himself for not securing Itachi's phone number earlier.

"I'll text you mine. That way if you get stuck or need a ride again, you'll have an option other than walking home." That sounded reasonable, and Sasuke reassured himself that since he would never call, it wasn't breaking further the promise he'd made to stay away from Orochimaru. The exchange of numbers settled, each climbed into his respective car, Orochimaru with his phone to his ear and Sasuke making sure Naruto was strapped comfortably. They left, making fresh tracks in the newly fallen snow.

By the time they had arrived home, it was quite late, and Naruto made a point of hugging Sasuke before he went in to sleep.

While Sasuke washed up for bed, he realized with no little surprise that, while unsure of the exact moment, all day today he'd made a relatively large amount of physical contact; hugging, being extremely close to Orochimaru, and none of it had resulted in a bad reaction. Trusting another person, even a little bit like this, felt like jumping into a mighty rushing river. Soon, Sasuke would feel able to consider himself past the effects that controlling, violent boyfriends had caused. Thinking about it made him a little nervous, even as he lay in his warm, cozy bed, but he took comfort in the fact that whatever river he had jumped into, it was leading somewhere safe—and he wasn't alone.

That night, he dreamed of a smooth lake. The moonlight shone on it, lighting the whole beach up as dazzling as the daytime, and on the shoreline he stood, alone. He could hear voices and noises behind him, yet he was unafraid because they were familiar and friendly. It was the most peaceful dream he'd had since he and Naruto had first met as children, and had snuggled together under the warmth of a blanket.

888

So that's the chapter so far. Hopefully it was good, though some of you might be upset that Itachi's gone right when I've gotten back, so… just don't hate me, ok?

One thing led to another, and I now have a tumblr account. My username is "swordwithoutfear" so yeah if you're on there, let me know and we'll be tumblr buddies! My brother follows me on there, though, so I can't publicly post anything relating to this (I like keeping my life compartmentalized—its worked for me so far)

And yeah so, if you celebrate it, have a good thanksgiving!


	4. Chapter 4

please don't hate me for sucking at life and failing at updates. just finished finals and the senior projects. waiting for graduation right now

888

The next day was rough. With Naruto recovering from a bit of a hangover, Sasuke practically had to drag him out of bed and drive him to work. And then, when Naruto remembered that it was their turn to pick up Gaara, he had to go back and get the somewhat irate redhead. Oddly enough, the student teacher was more annoyed that they had partied without him then by his tardiness.

By the time he got back from dropping them off at school, he only just managed to finish his paper before he had to leave for the bus, though he brought his laptop so he could use the transportation time to edit it. The bus jiggled a lot because of the ice, making him nauseous, but he figured that was the price to pay for going along with the impromptu party the night before.

In class, Hyuuga kept asking about Orochimaru so much that Sasuke almost asked if he'd developed a crush. He knew better, though, because Neji had never been anything but straight. Then again, the older art student did have a feminine face and hair like a Disney Princess, so maybe Neji was considering making an exception.

The next day wasn't much better, and knowing that Itachi wouldn't be in class to greet him made getting on the bus even harder. The only consolation was that at least the weekend was here, but he had so much reading and homework to do for class on Monday that it hardly felt like there was any benefit.

Once he'd walked in the room, he was saved from the momentary lonely feeling by an excited Kiba. "The professor's looking at our portfolios today!"

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, a portfolio is like a collection—"

"I know the definition. What I meant was, what does that mean for us? Am I not needed today?" If so, he wished he'd known sooner. Instead of wasting time coming here, he could have been working on homework or watching TV or something.

"Well, he pulls us all into conferences to go over it with us and talk about what we need to improve on, and then the top three or four people get some kind of reward. Since the majority of the class has to wait, cause we never know who he's gonna call or in what order, we usually use this time to practice." He gestured to the chair next to him. "So if you'll sit just there, I need your head. For some reason I can't get your hair to cooperate."

Neither can I, young Uzumaki thought as he complied, taking off his coat first so he wouldn't be uncomfortable in the heated classroom. By the time Kakashi called the first student over to his office at the back of the room, nearly everyone had crowded around Sasuke, asking him to tilt his head a certain way or make different expressions.

"How about the face you made the other day?" asked Kiba. "I want to try it again. I don't like how it turned out the first time, and I really was thinking about that as part of my final project."

Sasuke only raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure there was enough sarcasm for what he wanted to say.

Sakura said it for him. "Gee, I'm sure he knows exactly what you're talking about, dumbass. He probably only makes one facial expression a day."

"I mean right after Itachi left." Kiba said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. A couple of the other students nodded.

Well, now Sasuke was a bit embarrassed. He'd probably unintentionally shown how much he felt for his boyfriend, and now they wanted him to replicate it?

"Don't worry about that." Sakura assured their model. She rolled her eyes and punched Kiba a bit in the arm to emphasize what an idiot she thought the other boy was being. "It doesn't matter what face you make—we all just need some more practice, and I need to study your nose a bit more. So just sit real still, ok?"

As he followed her instructions, Sakura kept talking. "I'm really glad we won the other day at the snowball fight. Though I've got to stop going with you back to Shino's house, Kiba." This wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, so Sasuke tried to tune her out with little success.

"Why? What's wrong with hanging out with us? You always say we're a bundle of laughs." Sasuke tried not to cringe—with a voice like that, there was no tuning Kiba out.

"All you do is make out, and what am I supposed to do? Its awkward watching TV while you two noisily suck each other's faces off."

"Hey! We're not that bad!"

"Or when you guys play football—"

"I like tackling him—"

"And when you wrestle on the couch—" she seemed to be prodding at something, but Sasuke was quite sure that whatever it was that she was trying to figure about Kiba and Shino's sex life, he didn't want to know.

"We don't do that—"

"Or when you guys play videogames—"

And despite his best efforts not to miss his boyfriend, all his thoughts went back to dark eyes and soft hair and the benefits of winning videogames.

"That's only—" Kiba interjected, still defending his behavior.

"Shut up. I can't focus when you're talking." She abruptly said, and an incensed Kiba made a few gestures at her in righteous indignation at her apparent hypocrisy until he saw that she had accomplished her goal: she had apparently gotten Sasuke to think about Itachi again, because Sasuke was once more wearing the expression Kiba had wanted.

After a while longer, Kakashi came out and dismissed everyone, saying that he'd get to the second half of the class on Monday and for everybody to enjoy their weekend. They all packed up, and Kiba set out on convincing Sasuke to come with him to a party the next evening. "I appreciate the offer, but that's not really my thing."

"Why not? I'm sure there'll be alcohol, but through a careful process we've weeded out the alcoholics, skanks, and crazies. Besides, it's at Orochimaru's, and his step-dad is really cool." He clapped at hand on Sasuke shoulder, a strong grip that wasn't so easy to shrug off. "It's not like we do drugs or anything. Though for some of us," he not-so-subtly pointed to a certain classmate or two, "it's only because we're poor art students. Anyway, just come hang out with us, okay? Great! We'll pick you up around eight!" Since Kiba had talked over his protests and then dashed out of the room like he was headed to a free doughnut giveaway, Sasuke had the horrible feeling that the man would show up at his house tomorrow and force him to attend.

"It won't be that bad." Orochimaru walked with him as they left the classroom, surprising Sasuke with how comfortable he felt talking with this man alone when merely a week earlier he'd nearly panicked over the thought. "They are loud, but we've had fun so far. Usually it's at Hinata's place, so this time will be a bit different, but after playing games or whatever they'll get tired and leave. If it makes you feel better, we could use a code word in case you feel like you really want to leave before he's ready to. I'll drive you home myself if it comes to that." He promised.

Sasuke was grateful, and had to admit it might be nice to hang out with a different group every now and then. Orochimaru left him at the bus stop with a wave. By the time Sasuke got home he was actually a bit excited, and did as much homework as he could, even turning in his assignments to his online classes early, so that Naruto wouldn't have any objections to him going tomorrow.

Saturday dawned bright and early. It wasn't like anybody in the Uzumaki residence knew that, of course, because both men slept until noon. Eventually when Sasuke pulled himself from bed, showered, and was awake enough to be aware, Naruto was just getting home. Sasuke expectantly looked for grocery bags or perhaps take-out, but the blond smiled at him. "Just eat cereal or something, 'Suke. It's not like I always come home with food."

The brunet turned back to the kitchen to scrounge up some breakfast. "Where were you then, this early on a Saturday?"

"I'm sure you noticed, but Itachi had an emergency with his family. I didn't get the details—something to do with his mother—always a touchy situation and I didn't want to be a Nosy Napoleon—but he did call the other day and ask me to check on his cat." At the mention of the animal, Naruto opened up the cage he'd walked in with. "but since I forget to make sure he was okay yesterday, I thought it would make more sense to just bring the little fur ball here."

The little kitten dashed away from Naruto, who had been petting him, over to Sasuke. He rubbed himself against his leg until he was picked up. "You remember me?" While waiting for his pop-tarts to pop, he pet the soft fur gently. Carefully he kept his back to Naruto (who didn't notice anyway); but how could Sasuke help but be bothered? Itachi hadn't told him as much, even though they had been in the same room! Sure, he probably didn't want to give the whole class the story either, but he could have written something helpful on the paper. And besides that, why did Naruto have Itachi's number and not him? The kitten meowed at Sasuke as if to remind him his breakfast was ready, though Sasuke pretended that the animal was trying to console him. At least Itachi's pet liked him better.

The rest of the day they spent working on homework and grading papers at the couch. Occasionally the kitten would walk around, growing accustomed to the house, but mostly he sat on Sasuke's lap, enjoying the heat from his laptop and typing a letter or two when he shifted on his lap.

As the time drew close for Kiba to pick him up, he threw on a long sleeved shirt and t-shirt on top of that, then a sweatshirt and his coat, because he didn't know how warm (or not) Orochimaru's house would be. "Layering up? Good idea." Naruto watched him tie his shoes. "I'm glad they got you to hang out with them."

"Kiba didn't really give me much of a choice." Yet the blond couldn't help but noticed that his pseudo-son didn't sound so bothered by it.

"But you know what I mean. I don't have a problem with you hanging out here most of the time, but a change of pace every now and then is a good thing. From what Kiba's told me of his friends, they're decent enough kids." The blond put down the essays he'd been grading to regard his charge seriously, putting his 'daddy face' on. "If anything happens, call me. I don't care how silly it may seem, or if you don't want to bug me, because it would bother me more if you held something back from me. And especially if your driver seems even a bit drunk. The weather is too shitty for any sort of nonsense affecting his ability to drive."

He nodded, and a horn outside honked so he stood, giving a last pat on the kitten's head. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Call me if you'll be later than 12. And under no circumstances are you staying the night there." He said sternly. He accepted the kitten into his lap and held him still so he wouldn't run out the door when Sasuke opened it. "Have a good time!"

Sasuke was a little surprised, as he attempted to climb into the car, to realize that when Kiba offered him a ride he meant that he'd be sitting squished in the back middle seat with his feet on the hump. It was only mildly horrific, being squished between Sakura on one side and her roommate on the other, but that was only because they stopped talking over him and started talking to him, and they asked every question about Itachi they could think of, ranging from his favorite color to how big he was. in the front seat, Karin's boyfriend Suigetsu Hozuki, turned around to talk to him, rather carelessly bumping Shino's shoulder, though the man held the steering wheel steady with his other hand as Kiba, for once, watched the conversation rather than jump immediately and loudly in.

He introduced himself, and added, "They found some beer in my fridge earlier, and decided that I didn't deserve it." After a moment of merely staring at Sasuke, which made the boy highly uncomfortable, coupled with the fact that this man looked familiar but he couldn't remember where, the other man asked him directly. "Do I know you from somewhere? I'm sure I've seen you."

"I have a similar feeling, but I don't know either." Well, this was going to bug him until he figured it out. At the very least he was certain it wasn't because the man was stalking him, for if that was the case he'd feel much more familiar, but Sasuke just knew he'd seen the man around before. Maybe they'd gone to the same high school or something? Well, he could figure it out later.

"Oh, don't be a dummy." Karin said with a bit of a slur. "Sakura's art for this semester is all over our apartment, so you've probably just got used to seeing him all the time."

"Yeah. Sure." But he didn't sound convinced.

Finally the loud and crowded car ride came to an end, and they poured out of the car and into Orochimaru's house. To Sasuke's surprise, he kept the place even warmer than Naruto did, and he was compelled to remove the top layers of his clothing so that he didn't sweat in the heat of the room.

His stepfather was a large man by the name of Ibiki Morino. During the day he did construction work, and nights were spent at the bars with his work buddies. This evening, however, he was at home. Sasuke was surprised to note that he and Naruto acted more like father and son then Ibiki and Orochimaru did; they acted like overly polite roommates, though there did seem to be some level of comfortable affection between them.

Ibiki stood by the door and shaking each person by the hand and introducing himself, not loosening his scowl though that seemed to be his default expression rather than his feelings about his guests. By the time midnight came, Sasuke was quite surprised that time had passed so quickly and that he'd enjoyed himself so much; he hadn't expected to have any fun without Itachi here, but these people weren't so bad to hang out with either. They'd played games mostly, though the brunet did enjoy the chance to show off his gaming skills as he and Orochimaru teamed up against Ibiki and Suigetsu. It was a perfectly cheerful evening, and when Kiba insisted that Sasuke go with them again sometime, the boy didn't protest.

"You're only about twenty minutes past your curfew, so it's not like you'll get yelled at." Kiba told him as they dropped him back off at his home. Sasuke wanted to tell the loudmouth that it wasn't a curfew, Naruto just needed to know when he was going to be back to make sure he got home okay, but let it go. "Thanks for the ride—and tonight was pretty fun. Have a good night!" A genuine smiled tickled at his face as he waved and pushed open the door. As he entered, he was sure he heard Sakura say "ooh! If I top the portfolio assessment, I know what I'm making him wear." Hopefully she was drunk, because otherwise that might be a very scary thing.

Predictably, Naruto didn't say anything about his minor tardiness, though that might have come from the fact that he hadn't made much progress on his work for school. "How was it?" The blond asked, jumping on the diversion while getting himself some ice cream. He loaded fudge, sprinkles, and whip cream on top, as if to suggest that with enough sugar he would get done faster. Instead, once he was back on the couch, he pushed aside his schoolwork and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels.

"Fun, actually. I'm glad I went." Unable to resist, he put a bit of ice cream in a bowl for himself and joined Naruto on the couch. "Guess I really could stand to be more social. Anyway, how'd it go with you?"

"Blegh." He said, eating his dessert gleefully. "Let's not talk about that." They watched reruns of some cop show for a while until Sasuke decided to turn in. "Alright, I'm going to sleep."

"Good night, then."

"What about you?" The blond's reaction the other day to the implication that he should sleep more reminded him that subtly often worked best with Naruto. As he walked past the bathroom, the kitten dashed and between his legs, nearly tripping him, then following him into his bedroom as he opened the door.

With a sigh, Naruto turned the TV off and opened up his laptop. "I'm going to see if I can find some good porn."

Sasuke groaned. "Some things I really don't need to know. Couldn't you just lie to me next time?"

"Oh give me a break. I don't have time for a real relationship, and I haven't gotten laid in almost five months." Still too much information. "I'll get headphones so it's not like you'll hear anything. You can always put your headphones in, too, you know—"

"Okay. Stop. It's fine, I'm just going to ignore that you said anything and get to sleep."

888

Monday dawned bright and early, the sun melting most of the snow and clearing the streets and sidewalks completely for the first time since snow began to fall that season. With the weather so fine, Sasuke was tempted to skip work and just read outside on the porch. It didn't help, either, that he wasn't entirely sure he needed to be there while their portfolios were assessed.

There was something odd in the mail with his name on it (and he rarely received mail)—an almost comically pathetic imitation of the stereotypical blackmail letters featured in cop shows, made from cut-out newspaper letters. Even the message was less than threatening, reading merely "BREAK IT OFF OR GET BROKEN." This was just the sort of thing Itachi had warned him his half-brother might do, and it was indeed childish. Rather, what sent a shiver down his spine and heightened his awareness was the realization that his half-brother, whoever he was, knew his name and home address.

Still, he wasn't going to let something like this get him down. Not anymore. If there was any danger, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. A simple letter was nothing, and anything more serious than that—well, he'd handled much worse. It was like Itachi had said: he had survived until now, and there was no reason he shouldn't press on. No need to tell Naruto, either, unless something of importance happened.

On the bus he restlessly played with his phone, not really caring what games he played but unable to sit still. After a while, he noticed the lurker in the back of the bus, and in his edgy state he was practically looking for a fight. But whoever it was seemed content where he was today, as when Sasuke tested out the method from before and sat closer to the older woman, Sasuke was happy to note the man didn't move as well. It still creeped him the hell out, though, so in the event that Itachi wasn't back yet he decided to accept a ride from Orochimaru later if he offered.

The class thankfully passed uneventfully, and although Sasuke's intuition had told him that Itachi wasn't back yet, disappointment made his stomach a bit heavy. Kakashi explained at the end of class that the top three performers, to be announced next class, would be allowed to choose the next three setups for their model. Sasuke cringed, and began to hope earnestly that some of the more reserved looking students would win. He doubted students were allowed to choose anything too revealing, but then again with artsy-fartsy types one never does know.

888

Tuesday and Wednesday passed, and Sasuke threw out the next two letters that arrived with barely a glance. Lucky for him that he was usually home when the mail arrived, because Naruto obviously was not handling the pre-holiday stress well, probably due to his students' misbehaviors increasing with excitement. The only noteworthy thing, to Sasuke's mind, was that Itachi was still not back from wherever he went, doing whatever he was doing. In his dejected state, he hardly cared that the person who'd placed third in the portfolio assessments, Hinata (not Neji's cousin, he'd affirmed—she looked nothing like the Hyuuga girl, and she spoke constantly about how much she loved her parents) chose to dress him in medieval full body armor. The metal hindered his movements much more than he would have supposed, and distracted himself from their weight by trying to imagine fighting in such an outfit.

After class, Kiba helped him get the armor off, and when he started asking Sasuke what his plans were for Thursday night, the boy had to admit that he wasn't entirely against the idea of hanging out with them again. "It's a Thirsty Thursday thing, so it isn't just our crowd, and the drinking can get a bit out of hand, which I'll admit saying something coming from me, but we usually stick together anyway. You could probably stand to meet more people, though. You in?"

Oh, so now his opinion counted? This time, however, he really wanted to get his mind off how much he missed Itachi so he agreed. They arranged for Shino, Kiba, and Orochimaru to pick him up the next evening, then they would meet Sakura, Karin and Suigetsu, and Hinata at the party. Plans set, they left.

Predictably, Naruto was happy he was hanging out with them again. He gave his usual speech about responsibility and how Sasuke should call if ever he needed him. The brunet doubted it would come to that. The only foreseeable trouble would be if Kiba started a fight and somehow got their whole group involved. The snow had since melted to slush, and was clearly less than ideal for another snowball fight.

Subconsciously, people can sometimes sense things their conscious minds dismiss; when the subconscious perceives danger, it communicates anyway it can.

Sasuke's subconscious sent him a dream.

He knew it was a dream. The all too familiar feel of silk beneath his skin, the scent of cologne with wisps of alcohol, right down to the glowing stars on the ceiling when he opened his dream-eyes, he knew where his dream-self was.

He was in Juugo's house.

In Juugo's bed.

Wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a sheet, which, coupled with the murmur of the crickets outside, drifting in through the open window—of course. It could only be *that* night. He knew that once Juugo entered, the dream would be over faster, but that also meant he'd have to live through that night again.

The worst part of the nightmare was that he could never change anything, never had any control over his body. The night would repeat itself in all its horrifying detail.

The sound of bare feet slowly slapping the floor drew nearer, and, just like that night he rolled over onto his stomach as they approached the bed, his dream-self between the realms. Hot breaths heated his neck and traveled down as the man leaned over him, sliding a hand down his back, ass, and legs, dragging the sheet off with it. Clumsily, the man pulled together Sasuke's hands, drawing them together and slipping a cord around them, applying a similar tactic to his legs. Juugo's weight settled over him, one leg on either side of his hips, calloused hands grazing his flesh from the backs of his knees up to the edges of his boxers.

Sasuke's breathing quickened to counteract the heavy weight on his torso. Bondage wasn't something he'd tried before, but Juugo knew how to make him feel pretty good so it was worth a shot. Dream-Sasuke feigned sleep for a few moments further, vaguely testing the bonds on his hands. Discovering that they were loose enough in case he decided he didn't like where their session was going, he embraced the rough hands massaging the backs of his thighs.

A cooler element was introduced. In the heat of the summer night, the chill of the blade was hard to identify. Sasuke only could tell that it felt like metal, and figured it was the chain Juugo sometimes wore around his neck. He arched a bit into the coldness, flinching when it wasn't smooth like he expected, but sharp. "Hey… what?"

"Shh, it's alright." He dipped the edge closer, and dream-Sasuke became aware that it was a knife. With his awareness increasing, he tried to wiggle but Juugo smacked his head smartly, making him feel dizzy. "You were close before, but this'll get us there… yeah, baby, just stay still and then we'll be together."

The punctuation to his sentence was the knife plunging into Sasuke's leg. "AH!" He let out a loud cry at the pain, edging into a higher pitch when the blade was dragged through his skin. Above him, Juugo growled, and quickly shifted so that his foot was against Sasuke's neck and shoving his face into the pillow, muffling his screams. He continued on steadily, muttering to himself. Every twist and buck of Sasuke's body meant little to him; his larger stature keeping down the boy even as he was able to work his hands loose.

All his oxygen spent on screaming, he began to have trouble breathing and his struggles weakened as his energy went to keeping him conscious through the lack of oxygen and stabbing pain of his skin and muscles being divided, soaking the blankets with blood . At last, the word was carved into his flesh. Juugo's slippery hand, which had been resting on the lower part of Sasuke's thigh that was now slick with blood, slid a bit and he readjusted his position, letting off the pressure on Sasuke's neck. He drew his head back as much as he could, stifling the sobs in favor of breathing deeply. Dream-Sasuke's efforts to escape began again and he twisted, knowing that if he could just get the proper angle that he could throw the orange-haired man off.

But there was a new element in the dream. And Sasuke didn't like it.

With his head to the side, he could see another figure in the room. Half-hidden in shadow, Itachi stood impassively watching. "What.. the hell?" without realizing, he had broken the routine of the nightmare, only highly aware that Juugo was now dumping the contents of a bottle onto his leg. "AHHH!" he screamed again, pleading to Itachi with his eyes, feeling wetness leak down the side of his face.

"I can't help you," he said. Juugo apparently couldn't hear him; he just pressing down and increasing the violent sting of the cuts. "You can do this."

Unexpectedly, another figure became appeared, this one more visible than the last, though much more surprising. "Orochimaru?" he squeaked, still vaguely trying to throw off Juugo. The man didn't answer, just shook his head regretfully. When Sasuke thought the nightmare couldn't any weirder—or any more frustrating—a third person appeared, and though at this point there was hardly anything to be unexpected, Kimmimaro's appearance certainly surprised him.

The newcomer looked down on him condescendingly. "If you hadn't been such a whore, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Seriously? The pain Juugo was inflicting was his own fault? Not a chance, Sasuke thought. The man continued with a sneer. "You're just a stupid, slutty gold-digger. You're getting exactly what you deserve." With that, Sasuke and his dream-self snapped. Suddenly, the dream reverted to the way it had been that night and it was all too easy to flip himself over beneath Juugo, strike both sides of his lower back, and then when the man doubled over, he sat up and pushed him off. An elbow strike to the side of his head and a jab to the neck would have been sufficient, but Sasuke made sure to add to it and pushed him further off the bed so he fell hard on the ground.

Without looking to assess the damage, dream-Sasuke pulled on the nearest clothes he could find—a pair of jeans, a jacket and a t-shirt—and grabbing his phone, ran from the room. Sasuke knew that if he stayed in the dream that he would see himself steal a pair of sneakers, sneak out the house, dodging the other occupants, and desperately begin to search for some sort of transportation before finally managing to call a cab and wrapping his dripping leg with the jacket.

But Sasuke decided he had enough of this shit. Thinking of what the dream-Itachi had said about being able to act, he forced himself awake.

He was gasping for air and cold with sweat, but he was awake now. He flopped back onto his pillow and groaned when his eye caught the time—four forty. In another hour, Naruto would wake up to prepare for his job. And while the blond kept telling Sasuke to go to him with his problems, even the little ones, Sasuke had no intention of waking up his guardian. Maybe later, or tomorrow he would tell him he'd had another nightmare, but if he said anything now, Naruto would make him take the day off and convince him to take another sleeping pill.

There were too many disturbing elements, too, and Sasuke hardly wanted to think about why Itachi refused to help him, why Orochimaru refused to speak, and what the hell Kimmimaro was doing there at all. When his attempts to go back to sleep failed, he meandered out to living room and grabbed a book and laid down, happy for the comfort the kitten brought as it curled around his head on the arm of the couch. When a sleepy Naruto asked him what he was doing half an hour later, lied from his position curled up and hugging the cat that he remembered some homework he'd forgotten the night before. Had the blond been more awake, he might have noticed the slight shaking of his best friend's shoulders as he held the kitten closely.

888

All day had been spent diverting Neji and avoiding his questions about why he looked so tired. Sasuke had slipped up when they were ordering coffee and had given a fake name like he used to, and Neji couldn't help but notice the return of the old habit. Eventually, he was able to get Neji talking about his search for Hinata. After telling Neji that for a while he'd though he'd found her until she turned out to be nice but airheaded stranger, the man went into a full description of how he'd been looking for her at all the colleges in the area, and had begun expanding his search for all the universities in the country.

The plan was to take a nap between classes and the party that evening, but by the time Sasuke got home, Naruto was already there—with a houseguest. One of his students, Konohamaru, was also the nephew of one of the managers at the Home. When Konohamaru's parents had died, his uncle had taken him in; since Asuma Sarutobi lived at the Home, Naruto and Sasuke along with the other orphans had grown up with him. Sasuke's main memories of him were as a complete brat—whining for attention, even though he was receiving more than anyone else—so the cheerful "hello!" that greeted him was surprising.

The boy was happily swinging his legs back-and-forth, sitting on one of the barstools and sipping hot chocolate. "Heya! We haven't seen you at home in forever." The slight reproach could not be ignored, even if it was coming from a twelve-year old.

"I've been busy. School, work, homework, stuff," he shrugged. "Takes up a lot of time."

"Too much time for us?" It should have sounded whiny, but somehow the sincerity of the question prodded at Sasuke's guilt center. The fact that Konohamaru had said "us" instead of the singular further reminded Sasuke of the many people he'd left behind. They probably thought he'd abandoned them, just like everyone else had.

Apologetically, he replied, "yes, but no. I shouldn't let school and work take priority over you guys. Now that I'm getting my life back together, I'm going to make sure that you guys are a bigger part of it." He smiled, and the child smiled back at him. "I'll stop by this weekend." Then he thought of something. "But wait, why aren't you yelling at Naruto?"

"Most of us see him at school. We get to visit him between classes, and if we stay after he drives us home and sometimes, hang out with us."

"Oh." He said lamely. He hadn't realized at all, and felt a bit more guilty. Those kids were young and easily affected. Not to mention, he had promised not to forget them when he moved out. "Well, I'll make sure I get my homework out of the way so I can visit this weekend."

Thusly motivated, he left Naruto and Konohamaru to play videogames and eat all the potato chips while he went to his room to do as much schoolwork as he could. Less than halfway done, he felt himself drifting off. He fought off several yawns. After changing positions twice and migrating from desk to floor and back to desk, he decided that caffeine was the answer. It was only when selecting a soda from the fridge that he realized that he had about five minutes before Kiba arrived.

In the scramble to get ready, he hardly heard the doorbell ring. By the time he made it to the front door, Naruto was giving Kiba the usual talk: if anything happened to his son, Naruto would personally beat him into the hospital. So that Konohamaru wouldn't hear, he leaned in and added, "I have a couple names you can look up if you don't believe me."

Kiba had never looked happier to see Sasuke, and they exited quickly. Once in the safety of Shino's car, along with Sakura, Karin, and Hinata, Kiba relaxed. "Rock Lee is already there, and Shikamaru and Chouji are already there cause they drove with Orochimaru and he hates waiting. The place is across town, and I think it's actually hosted by another college. It's supposed to be good, though." The closer they got, the more nervous Sasuke became that he might be stepping into the house of one of his old acquaintances that he'd rather avoid. With a sigh of relief he realized that the location was in a slightly different direction, and the distance should deter anybody from his old college.

The party scene was merry chaos. People were everywhere all over the house, laughing, yelling, playing games, and generally making noise. Sasuke walked along with the others, sticking close to Kiba because he was most familiar with the loudmouth. On the bright side, he was easy to keep track of. On the downside, he apparently knew everybody and their brother. Thankfully they ran into Orochimaru rather quickly, and considering he was hanging out on a couch and calmly talking to those nearby, Sasuke opted to stay with him. Kiba, Shino, and the girls joined in the revelry in another room.

The first hour or so passed pleasantly, but before long Sasuke regretted not taking the soda with him. "Alcohol is just going to make me sleepier. Is there any caffeine?" he asked Orochimaru.

The man leaned down, his dark hair falling over both their shoulders. "I took the last soda. Everything else is beer, and the nasty stuff at that." He offered Sasuke the rest of his cup, but the half-inch wouldn't do him any good anyway.

"I don't want to be a party pooper," he had to inch himself higher on the couch to talk close enough to the older man's ear to be heard. "But I'm pretty tired, so whoever's ready first, I'd like to leave with them. Sorry."

Orochimaru gave him a sympathetic look. "I promised to stay another half hour, but there's a couple empty rooms upstairs if you want to go lay down. I'll come get you when we can leave."

Well, it was better than nothing, so with a yawn Sasuke wove his way through the crowd and up the stairs. The first room he came to was locked, and the second one was… occupied. The couple gave him no notice as he pulled the door closed quickly and quietly. The third one had a couch and a TV, along with several gaming systems. The couch was comfy enough, though once Sasuke was actually lying down he couldn't quite fall asleep. Most likely because he was in a strange place with tons of strangers. Yet he was extremely tired at this point. He'd been going all day with hardly any sleep and no caffeine, so the effort to keep his eyes open was hardly worth it.

His yawn was interrupted by the entrance of three boys. Two were twins with grey hair and a somewhat-sickly looking appearance, while the third, a tanned brunet with a nasty sneer, lead the way. They had the look of common thugs, but Sasuke didn't care about that. He knew who these guys were. They hung out with Juugo sometimes, and considering the drug use Sasuke now knew had been happening, it made sense that these were the people he sold to or bought from.

"Oh, is someone tired?" Kidomaru mocked. "That's what you get for whoring around all day."

"What the fuck?" Sasuke sat up. Tired as he was, he hoped to avoid a fight, but he also needed to be ready if they started something. They definitely looked the type. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. You string Juugo along, mooching off him, then as soon as he threatens to cut you off, you turn him into the cops."

"That isn't what happened. You're obviously drunk. Talk to me when you're sober." But it wasn't true. All three looked very much aware of what they were doing.

"We know exactly what we're about to do. So you dropped Juugo when you left him—you attacked him when he was sleeping." Kidomaru defended his best friend. "But there's three of us and one of you here and now. You're so scrawny, cheating was the only way you could have hurt him."

"We're all wide awake here." The first twin chimed in.

"And it only seems fitting that we get payback for our friend while you're half-asleep, too." The other twin finished.

Sasuke jumped up as they rushed forward, but they easily pinned him to the ground. A twin held him down on either side, giggling at how easy it was to tackle the sleepy man. At the first noise for help he began to make, both twins clamped a hand over his mouth. Their hands crisscrossed so closely that his nose was nearly covered, too, and he tried to stay calm so that he wouldn't faint from the limited air. Sasuke's limbs felt like lead, and nervousness turned to fear as he realized his best hope was Orochimaru, who probably wouldn't come up for another twenty minutes. Sweat beaded at his forehead and his feet struggled to kick at his attackers.

"Juugo told us he gave you a parting gift. Let's see the tattoos the boss gave you." The dark man tugged down Sasuke's pants, heedless of the legs kicking at his hands and face. Evenly Kidomaru sat on one leg and lifted the right one until he could see the back of the thigh. "Nope. Let's see the other one." he switched the legs, chuckling at the decreased resistance as Sasuke's legs went to pins and needles. Finally locating the marks, all three leaned in closer.

The left twin whistled. "Juugo sure knows how to use a knife."

"They look kinda faded… think we should renew 'em?"

"Nah. We'll leave that to Juugo once he gets out." Sasuke shuddered with his whole being, and the three men chuckled. "You should be afraid. Though we aren't just going to let you go, either." Kidomaru straddled his chest, hands resting heavily on his throat. "I'm not going to kill you, but some nice bruises should do the trick."

A second interruption came, startling the twins' hands loose. All turned to the door in anticipation, and Sasuke inwardly rejoiced to see Suigetsu. He didn't even know the man was here this evening. "Get these guys off me!"

The newcomer's surprised look dissolved into a smirk. "You know, here's a funny story." He walked in and distractedly pushed the door shut, not even caring that it hadn't closed all the way. "Last week I just couldn't figure out who you were, so I asked around. And no one had heard of any "Ritsuka" matching your description. But there was a lot of talk about this kid named Sasuke Uzumaki, and when I saw a picture, it looked exactly like you.

The man squatted near Sasuke's head, slapping his hand over Sasuke's mouth as it dawned on the young man. "No interrupting, now. See, when I saw that picture, I realized that you looked exactly like the bastard that ratted on my best friend when he found out he was getting dumped." Kidomaru tightened his fingers around his neck, and Sasuke tried to move but he simple hadn't the energy. Though he tried as best he could, his every move felt lethargic and now that air was taken from him, every struggled move felt as if he were underwater.

"You're just a stupid, slutty gold-digger. You probably love this."

The insult stung him, and the unjust accusation woke something anger that had long laid dormant inside. It was as if ice water was thrown over him. With fluid movements, he slipped first out of the grasp of Ukon, then Sakon, and head butted Kidomaru. Dizzy, he clumsily shoved Kidomaru to his right, smashing him into Sakon, and kicked across with his right foot to catch Ukon in the nose. Suigetsu had stumbled back in surprise, now standing near the door and cautiously watching Sasuke stand.

"You know what? I'm glad we figured this thing out—this 'how we know each other.' It means that once I've beat the shit out of you, I'll know to call the cops. Because you're going to need a maximum security prison between me and you so that I don't end you." It was a lengthy speech, considering the circumstances, and he paid for it when Kidomaru tried to sweep his leg. Sasuke stomped on his face, knocking him out for the rest of the night.

The twins at least had a strategy. They attacked from each side, one punching for his face and the other kicking at his gut. But he was ready. He ducked the punch and caught the leg, pulling that twin forward and using him as shield as the left twin went to punch him again. His knuckles connected with his brother's jaw and there was an odd crack and a grunt.

The right twin slumped, clutching his now bleeding face, and Sasuke pushed him into his twin—it had worked a moment ago, so why not use the same tactic—knocking them both to the ground. Sasuke exhaled sharply and steadied his stance, both fists at the ready. Surprise was evident on Suigetsu's face, but there was no indication that he was backing away from this fight. Adopting a serious fighting stance, he smirked as one of the twins stood up, the other staying on the floor and clutching the lower part of his face. "No one hurts my brother. You'll pay for making him bleed."

"You do realize that you attacked me first?" He considered stomping his foot in frustration. "and you're the one who actually punched him, anyway."

"Damn brat!" With a yell the twin charged, wildly swinging in rage. Despite Sasuke's near expert blocking, a few blows connected, forcing the air out of his lungs. Rather hopelessly, Sasuke swung an arm, smirking when it knocked the twin into the wall where he stayed, holding his head and groaning. He keeled over, gasping to get his breath back, and Suigetsu took the opportunity to jab him in the side. An involuntary yell left him as the elbow connected. Snarling, he tackled Suigetsu and punched every bit of him that stayed still long enough for fist to bruise flesh, until he was panting and the man below him looked blearily up at him, eyes struggling to focus.

Every move he'd made seemed to take forever, but the entire fight lasted hardly a minute. Sasuke stood slowly, peripheral vision noting that the increase in light was because the door opened wider. Not trusting such an easy victory, he turned to face the twin that he had knocked against the wall. Although Sasuke received a glare that would probably set him on fire if the owner could manage it, that twin certainly wasn't getting back up. Kidomaru, lying near him, was in better shape only because Sasuke had knocked him out before he'd gotten to fight much.

The shadow cast on the wall from the light in the hall changed, and Sasuke turned with surprise to see the bloody twin bearing down on him. He threw his hands up to cover himself, but before he reached him the twin dropped to the ground. Like slow motion, Sasuke watched the man fall, then looked up to see who'd knocked the twin down. Orochimaru's hand was still raised, a look of mild surprise on his own face as if he hadn't completely decided to strike.

"Um… thanks." Now that the calm had set in, Sasuke's panic was starting to catch up. Sure, they weren't going to kill him. but he had been attacked. He felt horribly vulnerable, and he didn't want to be anywhere near people, he didn't want to be at this stupid party, he didn't want to be anywhere but home, and he wanted Naruto to give him hot chocolate and tell him stories like he used to back at the Home when Sasuke used to cry, and he wanted to just never meet any of these people again, he wanted them all to just disappear, he didn't want to be this violent person—he didn't want to be a victim, and it was all so stupid and he really just wanted Itachi there, right then, so he would hug him and tell him everything was okay.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

He swatted at the hand with three fingers pointing up in front of his face. "I don't care!" The question wasn't so insulting, but that Orochimaru thought he would be dizzy or have trouble seeing just because he kicked some ass was an offense to his manliness.

"You're… alright then?" Somehow Orochimaru sounded impressed. "I thought I heard some noise from up here, and was going to ask if you wanted to stay but then… well, I saw you fight Ukon. Until Sakon tried to hit you from behind, you were doing really well. It looked like you had it under control. Otherwise I would have done something sooner." He explained.

He noticed the young Uzumaki biting his lip, and struggled to make the right decision—had he known previously… (and those scars, jagged and deep) but it might be too late… Orochimaru shook his head. Never mind that. The repercussions of seeing the boy like this would be dealt with later. For now, he needed to get the boy home. "Maybe you should get your pants on."

Sasuke was suddenly, *horribly* aware that his scars were visible, and even though he was ninety-five percent certain that Orochimaru had seen them, he maneuvered himself so that he could get himself redressed without presenting another opportunity to show the marks.

"Shall we go?" Sasuke knew that he sounded perfectly normal, despite the slight shake to his hand, but for some reason Orochimaru looked as shaken as he was. "I… er…"

Inexplicably, he was being hugged tight. He tried to pull back. "Hey! Let—"

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Or at least parts of it." Rushed words tumbled out of his mouth, like he needed to say them even if he wasn't sure what he meant. "I don't even know." The man did not let go, but he didn't squeeze him tighter, either.

"Whatever, just—" Sasuke pushed harder, putting force behind it, but Orochimaru was having none of that.

"Look, you've just been hit. I think you need a hug right now, even if you won't admit it, just to remind you that there are people who won't try to hurt you."

Reluctantly, he allowed this, wishing all the while he was being held by someone else. Regardless, he couldn't be comfortable with this for long, and when a few seconds later he couldn't help trying to wiggle out again, Orochimaru released him immediately.

A last look around the room showed the twins and Suigetsu collecting themselves, and wishing to avoid a scene, Orochimaru and Sasuke hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Unfortunately, Suigetsu's anger rushed his recuperative ability and the man stumbled out to the balcony. "Go ahead and run, you little bitch!" He yelled over the noise of the crowd as his eyes watched the two head towards the door. As soon as someone realized that potentially big things were happening, the music turned off and everyone shut up to watch. "Once Juugo gets out of jail, he's gonna beat the shit out of you! You think you're scarred now? There won't be skin left on your body that he hasn't trashed!"

Sasuke had reached the door, and he could so very easily walk out and ignore all this. But he really had had enough. He slowly turned around to look up at the balcony where the raving, beaten man stood. "Is that all you have to say? It's even less impressive coming from you.

"I'm *so* tired of your shit." He yelled back. "You know what? I've got a message for him. Tell that dickhead to go ahead and fucking try. I'll even tell Naruto to stay out of it. Because if that fucker wants to try and beat me again, tell him to bring it the fuck on. I'll be waiting." He stormed out, blindly following his companion as they walked to his car.

The drive home was tense. Sasuke was filled with frustration. Going merely by the information they'd shouted, people would be able to look him up. And surely Suigetsu would be all too obliging to tell nasty stories about him. Well, there goes his private life. A simple internet search would probably bring to light how he was linked with the jailed Juugo or that he was an orphan. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything Suigetsu or Kabuto had made public regarding him, but if they did, it only meant more trouble. He wanted neither their pity nor their caution around him. He wasn't a glass doll, and he wasn't a ticking bomb either. "This is just fucking great."

"I don't want to make a bad situation worse, but you've split your lip." Startled, Sasuke checked the mirror. Well, damn. "You've also got bruises on your arms, and dark spots on your neck. I don't think you can hide this from your guardian."

"Right." He sighed. "and thanks for not asking about stuff." He was more grateful than he sounded, but he'd make sure he said it properly later. "I get kind of paranoid about some things, so I try not to spread my business around, but by tomorrow it might not matter anyway."

They drove into his driveway then, and Orochimaru and he climbed out of the car. "There's a good chance he'll yell at you, at least until I explain, so don't take it personally or anything." The other man nodded, apparently still distracted.

There was indeed much yelling. But once Sasuke elaborated on Orochimaru's assist, Naruto's ranting redirected itself to what type of hell he would bring down on Kiba, and stupid college kids and how illogical, irresponsible, and utterly unaware of the repercussions of their actions they were. Finally he stopped, and the two men were thankful; not because Naruto had been yelling at them, but because he resumed his usually cheery attitude and offered them slices of the cake he had baked with Konohamaru.

Orochimaru declined, citing the time, and Sasuke walked him to the car. "I'll see you tomorrow! Thanks again, for everything. Now you've got an idea why I'm paranoid about so much, but… well, even with this, I hope to be getting better at trusting people."

Orochimaru watched the boy re-enter the warm house from his car for a few moments. "When people are out to get you, paranoia's only good thinking," he said to himself.

888

Nervously, more nervously than he'd been the first day when he knew no one or the second day after he'd fainted, he approached the classroom. After standing outside for a moment, he realized what he was doing. There was no way he was going to hide and tip-toe around these people. Elementary and middle school should have taught him enough about how to deal with unwanted sympathy, and his high school years had given him enough experience dealing with people who felt they needed to 'handle' him. Confidence, now, as he was in college—he had no reason to let his head hang low.

So he raised his head and boldly walked through the door.

For all his confidence, he wasn't expecting everyone to fall silent upon entry. A mix of glares and sympathetic looks greeted him. Well, Kiba could at least give him a clue about whether he should even bother trying to befriend the class again. But as he approached the man, he realized that the loudmouth was strangely quiet and wouldn't meet his eyes.

Is that how he's playing it? He can't ignore me, cause Naruto's already mad, but he's not going to go out of his way to be nice, either. That's just freakin' awesome. Sasuke's next best guess was Orochimaru, but he didn't seem entirely pleased to see him either. There was apparently some sort of inner conflict that distracted him greatly—evidenced by the deep brooding look that scrunched his eyebrows so they almost met, coupled with the jiggling of his leg and seeing that it took his classmate calling his name three times before he accepted the paper he was being handed—so Sasuke quickly left off the pleasantries.

The dead silence was broken only by a few hushed whispers until Kakashi arrived. Apparently oblivious to the hostile tension, he ignored Sasuke's scowl and began his usual introduction to the class. At the end, he added, "by the way, Sakura did second best on her portfolio assignment, so go ahead to the wardrobe in the back with Ritsuka and pick something out."

The pink-haired girl accepted the applause graciously. Sasuke observed Ino giving her a significant nod, and she returned it. As soon as her face was out of view of her professor, she gave Sasuke a stony look. He couldn't help but roll his eyes. This day was turning out to be such fun.

In the back room where all the costumes and props were kept, Sakura whirled around and glared at him fiercely. He was unfazed by such looks, but her words infuriated him. "I can't believe I thought you were a nice kid!"

"And what's changed your mind? My psycho ex's best friend?"

"No, I trust the man who's going out with my roommate and has never been anything but kind and honest."

"Yeah, I experienced his kindness last night. The way he shoved his elbow into my gut felt like a fluffy kitten."

"Yeah, he said you argued, but you attacked him. Just like you attacked Juugo before getting him busted on fake drug charges."

"That's bullshit!" Anger welled up inside him so that it was hard to think. There were so many things wrong with what she was saying that he didn't know what to argue against first.

"According to you. And, just so we're clear: we may not like Uchiha very much, but he doesn't deserve to be preyed upon by a gold-digger like you."

Why did everyone keep calling him that? The unjust term infuriated him. "Juugo was the only guy I've dated that had money. The others were making little more than I was, and Itachi and I split everything evenly. This is none of your damn business anyway!"

"I have a duty to protect my classmate! Especially from dirty, money-grubbing liars like you!"

"You honestly think I'm lying? That'd I'd make all that shit up?"

"I do, in fact, think you're lying. You've already lied about your name to us."

"Because I didn't want my past to interfere with the present! Because morons like you believe the dumbest things!"

"Interfere? Or show you for the liar you are? It sounds more like you were hiding the awful way you've treated other people, and are just playing us for fools as you line up your next victim. Like I said, we don't have any proof you're telling the truth. How do we know what else you've lied about?

Sasuke was speechless in his fury.

Kakashi stuck his head in then, the raised voices making him curious. "Are you that excited about outfits?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

Sakura smiled like a crocodile. "Oh yes, professor. We had just agreed on an outfit, actually." Young Uzumaki felt dread deep in his gut as she maliciously grabbed the girliest clothing available. And he couldn't even protest, still boiling with anger that slowed his thinking processes and dumbed his mouth.

However, Kakashi could, and reading their facial expressions, felt it his duty to ask. "Ritsuka, are you sure? You are allowed to say no, after all."

A way out? Inwardly Sasuke cheered. But the way Sakura looked at him—the challenge in her eyes—changed his mind. She didn't think he could handle this? Fine. He'd shove the challenge right back into her face. "That's alright, Kakashi-sensei. I can handle anything." He took hold of the hideous thing. "By the way, sensei, feel free to call me by name. Everyone knows now, so there's no point in pretending."

So they left the wardrobe room and Sasuke changed behind the screen per usual, partially hating himself for allowing himself to be baited. It was humiliating, but he did his job without complaint or blush. The part of him that was angry at falling for the bait took pride in the fact the he wasn't backing down. He was fighting back, like Itachi had said—and it felt awesome to be in control of something, even as stupid as this.

As he tugged the frilly dress up, he calmed himself as best he could. While he was angry, he only strengthened Sakura's hateful behavior, only let her win. If he could force himself to be rational, perhaps he could push through this bullshit with his dignity intact. His manliness didn't seem likely to survive, but it was worth a shot. He squared his shoulders in a decidedly unfeminine way, slipping his feet into a pair of flat shoes that were about the same color as the lacy dress. High heels simply aren't built for men's feet, so he was glad that at least she hadn't tried to add footwear to his humiliation.

With his head held high he walked out, seemingly taking no notice of the reactions. The majority giggled, but he was pleased to note that Kiba could hardly look at him, guilt scrambled with shame on his face. Sasuke found a comfortable (well, considering the circumstances, more akin to bearable) stance and held it. In his periphery, Orochimaru didn't seem too pleased either, and by the end of the period he was fiddling with his phone with apparent frustration, sending numerous texts.

All the while, Kakashi had been studying him more than reading his book, and Sasuke dreaded that another lecture was coming. Yet nothing of the sort came. It didn't make him feel particularly looked-out for, but since any help offered would have furthered the humiliation of acquiescing to wearing a dress, he was mostly just grateful.

Afterward, he decided that unless Orochimaru shunned him directly, that he would stick close to the man. The whole stupid day was bad enough and he just needed some of the kindness the man had shown last night. But Orochimaru was frantically trying to contact someone on his phone, with apparently little result, so Sasuke left him alone. His only hope for the day to get better was if Itachi came back, but at this point, he doubted that would happen either.

The buses were running late today so Sasuke took the opportunity to read the book he'd brought in his bag while he waited by the bus stop. Barely two pages in, he became aware of a presence near him. Assuming it was Orochimaru, who had stopped to talk with Kakashi-sensei, he put his bookmark in to save his spot and looked up expectantly.

But this person was certainly not the recently-befriended art student. There was something familiar in the set of this man's eyes, and although he was shorter than Itachi, he stood at least a couple centimeters above Sasuke. The pale skin, light enough that he competed with the snow, peeked out of the few places where his skin was let to show, his short black hair highlighting his dark as an abyss eyes. While his features were familiar, like someone you see every few weeks at the train station, once Sasuke noticed the jacket the other man was wearing, a surge of anger boiled through him and threw him to his feet. "You! You're the man on the bus."

The complete lack of a reaction halted the annoyed rant that half a moment ago threatened to spill from Sasuke's lips. The eyes ever-so-calmly assessed Sasuke, and young Uzumaki had a feeling that whatever conclusion the other man had come to, he wouldn't like it. After an indecisive moment in which neither party moved, the man spoke. "It would have been better for you—"

"There you are!" A strained voice called out, and both turned, recognizing the voice of Orochimaru. The third party rushed toward them, dark shiny hair streaming out behind him as he made his way over as quickly as possible, heedless of the ice coating the sidewalk. Clearly his breath was short but he spoke anyway, alternating between Sasuke and the other man, talking over his companions' attempts to speak as if his life depended on it. "So wonderful to see you out and about! I thought you were still with your father—Sasuke, that was a nice class, wasn't it? I certainly hope I did well with the portfolio assessment, though I know there are many others in the class that surpass my ability—"

"Orochimaru." The cold voice couldn't cut him off, but the hand placed lightly around his wrist apparently did. Slowly, the man smiled.

Sasuke knew that he had once thought Orochimaru was creepy, and at times he still felt so; yet the smile on this new man could hardly be called a smile, except that the corners of his mouth turned up and he showed a bit of his teeth. The expression was not dropped as he continued to speak. "Orochimaru, is this… or is this not… the one?" Each word was deliberate, the tone accusing.

With a pained expression, Orochimaru's golden eyes fell to the ground. Something big was happening at this moment, Sasuke could feel it, he just didn't understand what. Awkward as it was to stand near them and be almost part of the conversation, it would have been more awkward still to insert himself into the interaction. Inexplicably, Orochimaru's eyes glanced at Sasuke for the briefest moment, and that seemed to turn the tables. With a deep breath, the haze in the golden eyes cleared. They shone like solid metal as he replied with forced ease, "No."

The smile grew wider. Eyes like holes flickered between Orochimaru and Sasuke. "Have you misled me?"

"No. I was mistaken, having read the signs wrong. I should have paid more attention."

The smile grew still a bit wider, though thankfully his attention stayed on the man whose wrist he still held like a fragile piece of glass. "Then who?"

"Sasuke, your bus is here." Orochimaru pointed with the hand not held captive.

The boy had hardly noticed the screech of the brakes from watching the tension hanging around the two. The driver smiled happily at him, though Sasuke wouldn't feel right leaving his friend—just when had they become friends?—with a stranger whose intentions were unclear. Sensing this, Orochimaru waved him on. "Don't worry about it. I'm just clearing up a misunderstanding. I'll see you on Wednesday."

Given little choice, Sasuke boarded the bus and sat down. Perhaps he had been wrong about the man being the one he'd seen on the bus. Even if he was right, what did it matter? A misunderstanding of some sort had occurred, and if Orochimaru was sorting it out, then he had nothing to worry about. Well, judging by their interaction, the other man was no stranger to Orochimaru, so he should be fine.. He watched the two begin to walk away, and as the bus doors closed, he distinctly heard Orochimaru's placating voice say "blond, of course."

Sasuke tried to imagine it. If that man dyed his hair blond, he'd look awful. Black really was the only shade his hair could be with skin coloring like that. Mentally, though, he shrugged. Sometimes friends lie to each other when their advice is ignored.

888

Naruto's breath was visible in the air as he waited outside his car. He really wanted to sit inside, but it was more important to him that he made a good first impression on Itachi's mother. The flight had come in on time, Itachi's text had stated. The blond was a bit early, but it worked in his favor because at least now he had the choice of her first sight of him—better to be outside the car, shown in full and ready to help with their luggage than an over-the-shoulder greeting from the front seat deal.

Although he spotted Itachi first, Naruto's eyes were drawn to the woman beside him. She was half a foot shorter than Itachi but so slender that despite her heavy coat she appeared smaller. Her hair was black and long with eyes to match; a deep blue dress showed beneath the hem of her long coat and she walked with an otherworldly grace, lightly holding onto her son's arm. It was obvious where Itachi's looks came from, and soon Naruto would see that his intelligence wasn't merely on Fugaku's side.

Beautiful as she was, there was a tired, drawn look to her face, and a new layer of stress was visible over the old ones. "Hello. You must be Naruto. I've heard quite a bit about you, though unfortunately we couldn't meet last time. I'm Mikoto." She offered her hand.

The blond wasn't sure whether he should shake it or kiss it. Itachi interjected then, looking even more tired than his mother. "Mother, we need to hurry. Please, take the front seat." He was watching the crowds around them, speaking with a sense of urgency Mikoto didn't seem to share. Nevertheless, she complied.

"Yes, dear." Her son opened the door for her and closed it slowly, blankly staring out front window as he tucked in the edge of her coat so it wouldn't be caught in the door. As soon as he was facing away from his mother, he sighed deeply and turned to the blond finally.

He patted Naruto's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough." Together they loaded the luggage into the trunk. "Hey, I just wish that I could help more. I mean, you still won't accept any payment for before."

"Never mind that. The sooner we get back the better. It's time she moves out, and she needs to do it before Fugaku gets back."

"Are they getting divorced, then?" The little he knew about the situation—the constant arguing, the general animosity, the second son brought between them—gave him the impression that Mikoto would be healthier apart from him.

He shrugged. "It'll be up to her, and she's not in the right frame of mind to make that sort of decision now. But if I have any say in it, then yes. She shouldn't have to go through any more pain on his account. And if you don't mind, could you drop me off at my house?—or actually, yours is on the way. I hate to ask more from you already, but security isn't going to let me past, even with my mother's permission."

The ride was smooth, and Mikoto kept a pleasant buzz of conversation going. She was interested in everything that Naruto did. The attention was flattering, but he had a feeling that she was trying to distract herself from whatever had happened. Eventually, she directed him to a high building deeper into the city than Naruto usually went.

Naruto followed Mikoto's instructions, and once they were parked, he helped her out. Her momentary silences had grown once the building was in sight, and now her lips were pulled into a tight line, a few wrinkles on her forehead forming. There was more security at the elevator, and once inside it she entered a long password before the lift would move to her apartment floor. "You'll have to let me know how much will fit in your car." She was gathering her strength again, shoving off the uneasiness that had begun in the car.

"There's still a bit of room in the trunk, so we could probably fit a few more suitcases, and the backseat can fit more than it looks like it can."

They entered the lavish apartment, and Naruto tried not to stare at the quiet magnificence of it. Mikoto hardly gave anything a glance, just strode with purpose through the entry and living rooms, past a grand piano and animals mounted on the walls, heading toward the back. They were greeted by a girl in a dark blue pantsuit. Mikoto cut her off when she began to ask how her trip was. "Send for my lawyer. We will meet before noon tomorrow. Call the other girls quickly." She set down her purse and turned to her companion. "Have a seat, dear. I'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

Try as he might, he couldn't quite get comfortable on the obviously rarely used couch. Instead, he watched the bustling of the three girls (ladies in waiting? He wondered) that joined the first. Mikoto's soft voice directed them, telling what clothes she wanted, what personal items to pack, what she didn't want, and so on. As they packed, she wrote a list of things to be sent after her, and arranged with a mover for the items to be shipped within the next few hours.

Surprisingly, they were finished before the twenty minutes were up. She called Itachi to let him know the new address she could be reached at, and the elevator attendant was enlisted to help Naruto bring the luggage out to his car. The man complied, smiling, but he clearly was thinking that his employer's wife was running away with a younger man. The thought bugged Naruto, so he made sure to say in front of him, "Mrs. Uchiha, are you going to be staying with Itachi? I'd offer my place as a temporary spot, but it wouldn't be appropriate to live with two strange men, now would it?"

She smiled, the tiny wrinkles smoothing off her face as if they'd never been there. "You're very thoughtful, but no, it wouldn't. I've been looking for my own place for a while now, and it's all set. No need to worry." They left the parking garage and headed to her new place. There was silence, as Naruto wasn't sure if he should feel more sympathetic for the situation she was in or congratulate her on taking a stand against Fugaku. "My issues have been one of his priorities for far too long, and he just doesn't listen when I tell him I'm fine. I'm stronger than I seem, but I think it makes him feel better when I let him take care of me." She gave a small smile, similar to the one her son presented so rarely. The sincerity in hers was softer but no less stunning. "Don't tell Itachi I said anything, but there is little doubt in my mind that you are the young man he's told me so much about. I really hope things work out for you two." Naruto was startled by how little it had to do with her clearly more pressing issues. She deeply cares for her son, and it made him wish once more that he had had a parent like her.

Naruto couldn't stop the smile from lighting his face. So Itachi liked him too? He had hoped—the man reappearing in his life was like the hand of fate. Itachi was kind as ever, taking care of his mother and watching out for Sasuke, which really won Naruto over because anybody he dated would have to get along with his pseudo-son, otherwise it was a no go. And with Sasuke happily dating Orochimaru—after all, if Sasuke didn't really, really like him, there was no way the young man would have brought his boyfriend to Neji's to meet their 'family,' though the incidents of last night could not be overlooked—Naruto felt no guilt in looking for a bit of happiness for his own.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. "I'll try my best to make sure he's happy."

The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence. The new apartment wasn't that far from his own home—less than ten minutes—and an assistant was there to help Naruto bring her things up. Mikoto had already furnished the place and there was very little for Naruto to do. A couple of Mikoto's friends were arriving just as he was leaving, and she made him promise to call if he ever needed anything.

"Who was that young man? I haven't seen him before." The blond heard one of the ladies ask as he walked to his car. It was the tall one, probably closer to Naruto's age than Mikoto's, and her question held no scorn or contempt.

"You wouldn't have, given how Fugaku feels about my son. He's going to be Itachi's boyfriend." A shot of pure warmth ignited in his chest. He'd been alone for so long, and now there was a chance for him to be happy, too.

888

The dreary ride home, as the bus jerked at every pothole and made him bump his head on the window, was only made worse by the silent home. Music, turned down low, seemed too loud, and the TV was annoying; all his little noises as he moved along the carpet and idly surfed the internet. Every clack of his keys was deafening, and the little noise the kitten made—when he wasn't trying to make Sasuke uncomfortable and sleep at the same time—were no help, either. If only he could call Itachi. Then he wouldn't feel so alone.

Distractions had helped—schoolwork, his job, Naruto—but now that his projects were turned in he had a brief respite, and extra time coupled with the absolute nonsense of last night and bitterness from work today made him ache for his absent boyfriend all the more.

Naruto certainly hadn't responded well to the attack, and Sasuke was moderately surprised he had been allowed out of the house at all—the fingerprint bruises on his neck were light and he was able to cover them with a bit of makeup, so at least he hadn't had to share the story in class. Then again, maybe he should have—if Sasuke had been the one doing the attacking, what was the likelihood that *he* would end up nearly strangled, and not Suigetsu and co.? But as nice as it would to have his name cleared of the liar stigma, the art class didn't need to know—didn't deserve to know it was any worse than it was. If they didn't believe him, then fine. Thinking about it now, he didn't want Naruto to say anything to Kiba. This was part of his business, not Naruto's, and Sasuke was starting to get the feeling that he could truly take care of himself again. It was probably only Orochimaru's account of Sasuke's counterattack that had reassured Naruto, and Sasuke wanted to give his best friend not a single reason more to worry about him.

Though, speaking of Orochimaru, the man had seemed a little off. Not the way Juugo had been, but something had apparently made him uncomfortable. Best Sasuke could tell was last night, when he saw the scars… well, they certainly didn't look like tattoos and if the older man had heard anything the other boys had said then Orochimaru knew how Sasuke acquired the marks. That could make anyone uncomfortable.

Reviewing the previous day wasn't fun, and he certainly had had enough of today without thinking about it more. The plain and simple facts were that Sasuke was lonely and he wanted his boyfriend home already.

He stayed perfectly still, staring at the door, as if that would make Itachi come knocking. After a few minutes he gave up, reached for his computer, and mindlessly stumbled and tumbled around the internet.

Shortly after Naruto's usual return time, there was an urgent knock at the door. Sasuke muted the computer and listened for a moment, cautious; their neighborhood was relatively safe but he wasn't in the mood to deal with other people. In the absolute silence, he heard a car idling in the driveway. In that case, his guardian had probably misplaced something and had returned to get it before venturing on to The Home or something. He stood and moved to the door, noting that the little kitten had disappeared while he was distracted, an affectionate smile on his face at Naruto's forgetfulness. What had his blond forgotten this time?

The very question was on his lips, but when the door was nearly halfway opened he realized that it wasn't who he thought it was. It had been forever—a week? Surely not—since he'd seen Itachi, yet other than the darkly deepened circles under his eyes and new strains of worry on his face, he looked little different than when he'd left so suddenly.

He let go of the door and backed up a step. Now that the man was here, he couldn't decide if he should jump him and kiss him hard or ask why he hadn't called or left his phone number. Or why Naruto seemed to know more than Sasuke was told. Itachi looked so tired, though, that he figured he should let the man have a seat and maybe get him some food. "Welcome back," he said, and he tried to smile but realized he was already smiling as widely as he could. An identical smile appeared on Itachi's face—somewhat silly, but with genuine feeling—and he waved over his shoulder towards the driveway without looking, stepping inside when there was a answering honk.

"It's good to be back." He dropped the duffel bag hanging on his shoulder and it fell to the floor with a thud, an identical thud following as he nudged the door shut behind him with his foot.

"How was your trip?" Though what he really wanted to ask was, what took you so long to get back?

"I'll answer whatever you want to know later." He advanced a step forward, and Sasuke found himself reaching for the older man, fingertips grasping the lapels of Itachi's coat. "Right now, I just want you." His lips were chapped and chilly from the cold but Sasuke couldn't be bothered by details like that. He accepted the kiss, quickly warming the other as he was held tight.

Automatically his hands grabbed at Itachi's upper arms, sliding his hands up and undoing his scarf so he could pull him closer by his neck, winding his fingers in the hairs that had slipped from his ponytail. Feeling heat spreading through him, Sasuke darted his tongue out just a little, and Itachi immediately sucked his tongue into his mouth, cupping Sasuke's jaw when the younger man groaned. He could hardly help it—a week of holding out had never seemed so long before—but he allowed himself to push his body against Itachi's as much as possible, annoyed when he realized that Itachi's thick winter coat was still on.

The older man responded by turning them both so Sasuke was leaning against the wall, and Itachi pressed him into it with his hips, using just enough pressure to keep him there. Itachi pulled back from the kiss, just a touch of saliva at the corner of his mouth, and Sasuke was a bit embarrassed to realize it was probably his own; top half tilting back a bit, Itachi quickly undid his jacket and threw it over the back of a nearby chair. "It's been far too long since last time." He said while edging his fingers up the bottom of Sasuke's shirt, his dark eyes barely open as he moved in for another kiss.

This kiss was much slower, as if Itachi were taking his time to enjoy each movement of Sasuke's tongue inside his mouth and the pressure against his now slick lips. Pressure increased below the belt as Sasuke used his position against the wall to push off and into Itachi's groin, which the older man seemed to like very much. After a few such thrusts, Itachi grabbed at Sasuke's butt and pulled their bodies closer, keeping Sasuke's manhood touching his own through their pants. Itachi's mouth left his again. "I'm too close for that. Which bedroom's yours?"

He grabbed Itachi's hand and pulled him along before the words sunk in. As they walked, Itachi kicked off his shoes. However, Sasuke became aware of what they were doing—going to his bedroom, where clearly Itachi wanted to have sex. But… his gaze dropped to the ground as he thought. He didn't want it to be rushed, and despite Itachi's ability to appear perfect whenever, he did sort of smell like he hadn't been able to bathe in the past day or two. And, well…

"I wasn't planning on going all the way with you just now." Sasuke started, eyes meeting the brightly dark ones briefly before darting down again. They had stopped near his bed, and the older man cupped his face, forcing Sasuke to acknowledge the intensity of the stare. "Our first time together should be slow. I want to take my time with you—"

Relieved of the potential pressure, Sasuke simultaneously pulled him into a kiss and sat down on the bed with the result that Sasuke sat leaning against the backboard, cushioned by pillows, with Itachi in his lap and his legs on either side.

The older man ground his hips into his once, groaned, and did it again, keeping his mouth on Sasuke's the whole time. Sasuke made a vague attempt to undo the buttons on Itachi's jeans, but the moment his hands brushed against his crotch, he was met with a thrust and a groan. "Sorry," he practically gasped. "I want… to get you off first… but I don't think… I can last." Hurriedly now they loosened his pants and pulled him out, Sasuke intent on jerking him off while Itachi seemed like his only desire was to get his hands on the younger man as much as possible. "It felt like every time I closed my eyes, I only saw you."

"I didn't know you could be so cheesy." Sasuke replied between kisses despite his blush.

"Shut up," was the only verbal answer he received, though he did feel the lips stuck to his own twitch upwards at the corners for an instant before his tongue slowly reentered his mouth. Hardly a minute later, the fingers on Sasuke's shoulders tightened and hot fluid spilled onto his hand. He reached for a tissue off his nightstand, trying to respond to the kisses at Itachi's pace, which had slowed considerably.

But Sasuke hadn't gotten off yet and he didn't intend to be left like this. Fortunately for the building pressure in Sasuke's pants, the older man didn't wait to catch his breath before he was moving down the bed to lay between Sasuke's legs. With an almost painful slowness, his pants were undone. As Itachi tugged them down, Sasuke raised his hips to help speed the process. "Eager, are we?"

Sasuke huffed. "You aren't the only one who's had wet dreams this past week." Finally—a touch on his bare skin, and his thoughts disintegrated at the long-awaited feeling. The slender fingers wrapped around him and he could feel every breath against his so sensitive skin, excitement growing as the remained quick and constant, hinting at .

"Who said anything about wet dreams?" the tiniest flick of his tongue touched the base of Sasuke's dick. He shuddered in response. The slick muscle repeated the motion again, circling the base a little more, going around it and gradually moving upward. Sasuke could barely control his hips from trying to thrust against Itachi's tongue, his mouth, anything. He squirmed continuously in his efforts to keep from rubbing himself against Itachi and coming too soon, though when that wet tongue stroked over the head, he completely lost the ability to follow what his boyfriend was saying. "You should tell me all about yours. We could reenact them, if you like."

Sweat broke out on his forehead, partly at the idea of saying his dirty dreams aloud and then performing them, but mostly because of the pressing need in his groin. "Stop talking and put me in your mouth. I can't handle this teasing," he ended on groan. "Please."

The older man gazed at him for a moment with heated eyes, taking in the sight of his open face, a touch shiny with sweat, while his shirt had been pushed up to show his stomach and the dip where his bellybutton was, down to his dick which was wet from saliva and pre-cum that had just begun to slip down the sides. "Anything you wish, Sasuke." He took just the head in, then pulled back up, then a bit more, then a bit more, bobbing his head each time until he was taking all of it in one go. The heat and tightness of his mouth brought him over the edge quickly and into Itachi's mouth, and Sasuke lay back against the pillows as he caught his breath, watching Itachi crawl back up to the top of the bed and put the cum in a tissue.

Itachi lay next to him, nudging him over slightly to fit his head on the pillow as well. He sighed lightly as he sank into the softness. "Oh, I'm so tired. I can't remember the last time I was this sleepy," he said.

"You can take a nap, if you want. Let's get you cleaned up first, though."

"Don't want to," he replied, though when Sasuke stood up and walked to the bathroom for a wet washcloth, the older man followed him slowly. After they had wiped each other off, and after Itachi stole several more kisses, they went into the guest room. "This is probably the comfiest place to sleep. Do you want me to wake you at all?"

"I haven't slept in a few days, so there's no real use in trying to awaken me before my body thinks I should be conscious." Though he had looked tired before, his eyes were starting to droop and the ends of his words ran into the beginnings of the next. "Don't leave yet, though. I promised to explain my absence."

Sasuke settled himself next to Itachi on the bed and didn't resist one bit when the older man grabbed his hand and held it, apparently the only movement he was able to make. "Mom had an argument with father—a very serious one, it seems—and I had to go help her out. She started panicking, had a major anxiety attack, and ended up in the hospital. They wouldn't let her leave at first, so that took some doing, and even after that she was scared to travel. She still won't tell me what exactly went wrong, but I think my half-brother had something to do with it because I heard from one of the assistants that he returned here just after I arrived there. That bugger would never miss a chance to mess with me, so I think father sent him away. Maybe so he could try to sort out the argument, I don't know."

"Will she be alright?"

"I think so. She's tougher than she looks, and she's stronger than she used to be. Still, I wish…" he tightened his hold on Sasuke's hand, eyes dropping from where they had been tracing Sasuke's face to the bedspread. "I should have been there for her, regardless of what my father thought or whatever."

"It's not your fault." Somehow, he got the feeling that Itachi didn't really believe him. "It's true. Believe it. Your mother's pain has been caused by his actions, so it's not your fault. Besides, if you had stayed, would your mother really have been fine with it?"

"No… no, you're right." It was difficult to tell between the lines of his tired expression, but beneath the weariness, eyes that seemed almost shallow with strain darkened and deepened and returned to meet Sasuke's own. "Things wouldn't have changed much if I hadn't left. And she doesn't ever indicate that she blames me, but… well, it looks like she's going to divorce him, so at least this time I'm old enough that I can let her lean on me." His lips stretched into a vague smile, and it was clear that his energy was down to the last. "Tell me about your week. Everything that happened while I was gone."

"You're barely awake. I don't want to keep you up when you're this tired." Despite this, he didn't move from his comfortable place next to Itachi on the bed. After so long without even seeing him, he didn't want to walk away just yet.

"I can still listen," he replied somewhat defiantly. His eyes were fast closing; mere cracks that certainly couldn't be worth the effort to keep open. "Last Friday… what'd you do?

"I joined in the snowball fight. For whatever reason, I was on Kiba's team, and it took us a couple hours but we won. The last time I had an intense battle like that must have been about ten years ago. It was… fun." Looking back, it really was—which it made it all the worse that he now couldn't hang out with the art class like he used to. Kiba he'd probably be able to, once the man realized he was being a dick, and when Orochimaru worked out whatever problem he was having, they could be friends again, too.

Thinking of the latter student, however, reminded Sasuke of the promise he'd made—the promise to stay away from Orochimaru, and the warning Itachi had written before he'd left. This seemed like the moment, then; the moment to either hide their sudden friendship or pretend it never happened. While mulling it over, his phone beeped from the other room and he carefully extracted his hand from Itachi's. "Hurry back," Itachi mumbled. Sasuke nodded and rushed to silence the annoying sound.

Speak of the devil! The text was from Orochimaru. Sasuke sent a silent thank-you to the universe for providing him this opportune moment to ask Orochimaru what he thought of the situation. In what could be interpreted as another stroke of luck, the long-haired man already seemed aware of Itachi's return, as the text message read that Orochimaru thought it would be best to keep their friendly relationship an absolute secret to avoid complications with Uchiha.

While that was certainly thoughtful of him—not to mention a bit creepy that Orochimaru had already caught wind of where Itachi was—Sasuke couldn't help but think that lying, even about something that could be minor or probably would never be found out, just wasn't right. He had promised to stay away from Orochimaru, after all, and though nobody could have anticipated the situation, he would have to lie to deny that In the end, he decided to go ahead and tell Itachi the circumstances in which they were thrown into a friendlier acquaintance, and rather proud of himself for making his own decision and sticking to it, he walked back into the guest room.

Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, Itachi was deeply asleep. Just to be sure, the young Uzumaki nudged him several times but with no effect. Resolving to explain the situation that caused him to break his promise about staying away from Orochimaru later, he fixed the blanket properly around his boyfriend and shut the door, going back out to the couch where he watched TV until Naruto came home.

888

The car was in the driveway, but neither Naruto nor Itachi were anywhere to be found in the house. Given how tired Itachi had been, it was surprising that he was not still sleeping, and it was further surprising that they were not to be found in any of the rooms. Perhaps they went out for a walk, since when Sasuke poked his head out the back window it seemed rather warm, especially compared to the previous weeks. Snow was already melting, dripping down the roofs everywhere. They would refreeze tonight, probably, but at least the sidewalks were very visible. And so Sasuke decided: it had been a while—well, he honestly wasn't sure how long, and thus it was all the more important—since he visited The Home.

After he showered and ate, he left a note and drove over. The ten minute drive went by far too quickly, so that by the time he was out of the car and standing by the door, hand hovering over the bell, he realized he had no idea what to say. Buying himself a few seconds, he wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans. Should he lead with an apology, or just walk in smiling and hope that were just excited to see him. He still hadn't decided, but Konohamaru opening the door kind of made the choice for him.

"hey!" he smiled like he had just been waiting for Sasuke to show up. "we've been waiting for you!" oh. Well then.

"how are you?" he asked the boy, patting the boy's head as he was pulled inside.

"I'm all right. The snow sucks right now, so we were going a little crazy with what to do."

"videogames?" he put his coat on the hooks in the entrance hallway, and smiled as he passed the office. "Hey, Asuma. How's Miss Kura?"

Really, he shouldn't have been startled when the man leapt out from behind his desk, knocking over a couple stacks of papers, to around and give him a hug. Only the slightest shudder need be repressed, and that was only because he wasn't expecting the contact. It took him less than a moment to hug the older man back. "how are ya, kid? I should smack you for not calling her by her full name, but I'm sure she'll just be happy to see you. I know I am."

Sasuke allowed himself to be led down the hallway to the common room, which was packed with about 20 children ages 4-17, all sitting on couches and chairs and cushions on the floor arguing about what to watch on the TV. Sasuke knew about half of them, and there was a tightening of his chest when he realized several of the faces he had grown up with weren't present. First, though, he had to deal with all the kids he did know, and each one felt that what they had to say was most important and the younger ones all felt that they needed a hug first and since they knew how to do very few things quietly, much less deal with the excitement of a visitor without much noise, the rather minor visit of an old friend caused much hullaballoo and lasted nearly fifteen minutes before three smaller kids dragged him down onto the cushions in front of the now-ignored TV.

He hung out for a while, just listening to their stories and all the adventures they said they had, each tale more absurd than the last. By the time lunch came, he was quite hungry, but since he didn't want to eat their food if there was a shortage, he ushered the kids into the dining hall, hanging back to ask Asuma. The man scoffed and remarked that he'd be insulted if Sasuke left before sharing a meal with them.

A pregnant Kurenai greeted him enthusiastically as she and the some of the older kids brought out the food. Two long tables had been pushed together and, though it was a little tight, the familiarity of eating elbow to elbow and shouting to be heard just a few seats down made him feel at ease. After lunch, the younger kids went in for naptime and the older kids had homework or study time, and Sasuke felt that it was time to leave. He made sure he said his goodbyes to all he knew and the ones he'd just met and asked Asuma to walk him out. He used the opportunity to ask about the kids that weren't there.

They stood on the front step, Asuma using the time to smoke where the kids wouldn't see him being a 'bad influence,' as Kurenai called it. "Yeah, don't worry about Haru and Yuki—they ended up being adopted together, actually, so best case scenario pulled through, and we get regular phone calls every month so we know they're fine. We heard from Kyo yesterday—you were just a kid when he found a family, but you remember him, right? Thought so. Anyway, he and his adoptive dad, the karate teacher, just won some big tournament and are going to an international kind of thing after the New Year."

Hearing of their successes made him feel bitter for only the briefest moment before his good sense took over and he felt glad that they'd be alright. "What about Momiji? That kid just looked so young and innocent, and we couldn't stop all the people that tried to pick on him. And Tohru, she was always a little spacey. Oh, and what about Haku?"

The older man leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his cigarette migrating to the side as his mouth turned to a grim line, a stance Sasuke had come to associate with bad news. "Well, Tohru's at work until late, and she's always been a hard worker, despite her mental drifting. Haku, however… well, you won't like this. He was with a family for a year, and when he came back he wasn't doing so great. We could hardly get him to speak. Now the only times he talks to us he yells, and he's been skipping classes and he got fired from his job. On top of that, he's been hanging around this older guy…"

Asuma generally regarded the kids at The Home as his own children, as much as anyone can, anyway, and the pure, genuine concern for one of his charges was what moved Sasuke. Because young Uzumaki knew what his former guardian was asking. "Does he still come home at night?"

"Yes, though he's consistently past curfew. But he does come home. If he didn't, we'd have to report him, and he really doesn't need that on his record. Come to think of it, neither do we." The man gave him a hopeful smile, letting out a puff of smoke to the side. "So next time you're here, will you talk to him?"

Sasuke nodded, and the obvious relief on the man's face seemed to give him back a few years. "Yeah. I'll see if I can pass on some wisdom. His background may be different, but where he is right now is pretty familiar." Uzumaki started walking towards his car, when he realized he was still missing someone. "What about Momiji? Is he okay?" he called back.

"He's working at an animal shelter. Wants to be a vet." He waved and finished his cigarette off. "See you soon. Christmas Eve at the latest, alright?"

"If I finish finals early, I can help with the Holiday shopping outing." Asuma nodded and hurried back in, cigarette break over and chilly without his coat. Sasuke climbed in the car and tried to max the heat, but the car sputtered at the strain. "Damn it." He smacked the dashboard and it kicked on just barely. He drove home, trying to pretend that he wasn't cold. What happened to the warm weather of before? He'd have to get Naruto to get the car fixed.

Hang on, though… Naruto drove the car all the time, so he surely knew the heat wasn't quite working. Why, then, wasn't it fixed? The blond had his scattered brained moments, but the important stuff—like taking care of his only transportation—those things were always priorities. Even if there wasn't time in the day, Naruto knew enough people during his college days that surely someone could help him out after hours (and Naruto apparently knew everybody that had ever gone to the university because whenever they went anywhere together they had to stop and say hello to all these strangers because, for whatever reason, Naruto had no problem being friendly all the time).

A financial issue, maybe? Possible, he supposed, but unlikely because Naruto kept careful track of the money and he was doing two jobs, and the blonde never really said anything about money. Well, surely there was a reason, and Sasuke could figure it out later. For now, he just wanted to get home and study for finals. Or perhaps Itachi would be there…

Itachi was, in fact, at the Uzumaki residence again. When he had woken at the crack of dawn, he was annoyed with himself for not sleeping as much as he had hoped (though roughly twelve hours wasn't bad). Figuring he had already taken advantage of the Uzumaki pair, it couldn't do much harm for him to extend it just a bit more and freshen up a bit. He had gotten out of the shower by the time he remembered he didn't have anything clean to wear, but on his way back to the guest room wear his bag was, Naruto stopped him. "Good morning! You're up early." The blue eyes were shiny, and seemed awfully distracted by his bare chest. Admiration was usually nice, but Itachi was sure that Sasuke wouldn't appreciate his guardian staring at his boyfriend like that so he folded his arms across his chest. It had the desire effect of getting the bond to focus once more. "Hope you don't mind my being forward, but I threw your stuff in the laundry. First load comes out of the dryer in a few minutes."

The sleep had been very beneficial to restoring Uchiha's energy, and it was clear to him now that his blond friend was not looking so great. "Thanks. It'd be nice to wear something that doesn't stink. The emergency bag in my car was all I had, and that was only a three day supply of clothes." He swiftly moved into the kitchen. "it's not my house, but I can make you some breakfast as a thank you for letting me stay."

"That's not a problem at all, really, anything I can do to help," he shoved his way in front of the refrigerator before Itachi could lay a hand on it. "But I'll take care of breakfast. Have a seat."

He tried not to raise his eyebrows. Clearly, Naruto was hiding something. He nodded, and waited for the blond to step away before reaching around him to take a peek. "Wait—that's, umm…"

"…Naruto, you…" this didn't meet his expectations. An excessive amount of beer or strange food or a mess was more in the range of what he thought might be hidden, but he didn't expect it to be empty. All that was in the spacious fridge was a Tupperware container half-filled with spaghetti.

"I'm just waiting for my next paycheck. We'll be fine until then. It's only two more days until it goes through the bank."

"Yeah?" It was hard to banish the incredulity from his tone, and his lawyer's tongue fired off follow-up questions.

"So until then, what do you eat?"

"Stuff."

"How often?"

"Enough."

"And what about Sasuke?"

"What about him?"

"What does he eat?"

"I always make sure he eats first. I promise."

"Is he aware of the situation?"

"Yes. No. It's very unlikely." The blond slouched against the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose, the shadows of his face darkening. "He mostly just eats stuff like cereal or pop-tarts, and I keep those in the cabinet. He never looks in the fridge since he doesn't drink milk. He even eats his cereal dry." He shrugged. "Old habit from the orphanage, eating as cheaply as possible."

"Is that how you're staying alive? Old habits?"

"Yeah." Blue eyes hardened to ice. "And I'm doing just fine."

"If by "fine" you mean about to crash, then yes, I'd say you're doing "fine," Naruto." He frowned.

The blond glared, but turned to towards the pantry. "Do you want cereal for breakfast, or should I make you some pop-tarts? We also have toast and some bagels… if they haven't gone moldy." He muttered the last line, seeing that buying them cheaper also meant they went bad faster.

The dryer buzzed, and Itachi sought out comfortable fresh clothes. He changed behind the laundry room door, thinking of a way to feed the blond without crushing his ego. "Look, how about as a thank you for picking us up and helping out with my mom and then letting me stay here, shower, and for washing my clothes, we go out and I buy you some breakfast." Once they were at breakfast, he could get the blond in a better mood, and from there he could come up with another way to slip the blond money. Maybe he could leave some on the counter for Sasuke, but with a note saying it was from his guardian… that seemed a bit underhanded though, and he thought he might as well try the straightforward way first.

Naruto frowned at him, but seeing that Itachi's gaze was unwavering, submitted. "Fine," he sighed. "but what about Sasuke? He's had a trying couple days, so he's going to sleep in a few hours yet."

"We can bring him something back." He was honestly touched that the blond's first priority really was the younger man; though after all these years of taking care of Sasuke like a little brother, it must be perfectly natural at this point. "Do you need to shower, or shall we go now?"

"Give me fifteen minutes." He dashed into the bathroom, and Itachi took the time the blond was occupied with readying himself to take another glance through the kitchen. It was true; Sasuke's usual foods were stocked well enough, and the blond seemed to be eating just enough to get by. While that was touching, and the sacrifice definitely needed to be commended, he was sure that the blond didn't realize that this was stupid. There was no way to work a full-time job—much less a secondary one—and hardly eat or sleep and not expect to crash sooner or later. It was absurd.

At the very least, he contemplated as he sat down on the couch to wait, he could order enough food at the café that the blond would have to take some home. Then maybe tomorrow he could stop by and bring pizza or something, on the pretense of helping Sasuke study for finals…

Actually, come to think of it, he needed to study for finals, too. And although his mother had told him to stay away for the day so she could get settled in and so he could catch up on sleep, tomorrow he needed to see how she was doing. Her breakdown last Friday had caused her assistant enough worry to phone him over—she had called it an emergency, and indeed it had been pretty rough. But she had recovered well, and quickly, though getting the doctor to release her from the hospital had been far too difficult. Not that father had helped at all; though Itachi had to give the man some credit, because Mikoto's assistant (whatever her name was) said that Fugaku was very hard on Sai for upsetting Mikoto and had sent him home immediately. Still, if Mikoto decided on a divorce, Itachi intended to support her in any way he could.

"Alright, you ready? Do you want me to drive?"

"That's fine. Actually, can we take my car? I miss driving it, and we'll have to pick it up sooner or later anyway, so why not sooner?"

Naruto agreed, and they drove to Itachi's house where he got in his car and after dropping Naruto's car back at his house, they rode together for a nearby café. True to his intent, he bought Naruto as much food as he could without being obnoxious, the blond narrowed his eyes suspiciously, taking the food nevertheless. Conversation flowed easily between them, despite Itachi's general quiet. It worked for them, however, because Naruto apparently needed to vent about all the problems he'd been having with his students and their home lives and schoolwork and drama with each other, and that fit Itachi's mood perfectly because the last thing he wanted to think about was his own problems with his family. A few hours passed easily this way, and the sun was high in the sky by the time they noticed.

"Well, I've papers to grade and lessons to write, and Sasuke's probably awake by now. Ready to head back?"

"Yeah. Let me just order something for him first." Naruto followed him to the register, clearly intent on telling him what Sasuke would want, but his pale eyebrows rose as Itachi ordered the younger Uzumaki's favorite foods without hesitation.

"You've been hanging out with him a lot lately. You know him pretty well, huh?"

Itachi heard the curiosity in the tone, but if Sasuke hadn't yet felt comfortable telling his guardian they were together, then he would wait on Sasuke's timing. Anyway, it wasn't his place to tell Naruto. he changed the topic, hoping it wasn't too blatant. "Yeah. I've been trying to watch out for him, and he's doing fine in the class. Speaking of, I can't stay too much longer at your house. I need to start studying for finals."

"Sure thing." They headed out to the car, carrying the food in take-home bags. "When do finals start for you?"

"This Thursday. I'm only taking six classes, and since the art final is really just our portfolio, I only have five tests."

Naruto made a noise. "What?" Uchiha asked defensively.

"Nothing, nothing. It just… it must be nice to be that smart where *only* six classes is taking it easy."

"It's not just that I'm smart. I mean, it's true, but I also work really hard."

"I didn't mean to say you didn't. I only meant that, well, it's good that you are taking it easy, even if you're definition is not the same as most people's." The man in the driver's seat didn't seem to fully believe what Naruto was saying, so he went the extra step. "And you should put your talents to good use. It was supposed to be a compliment, you know. You don't have to look so constipated about it."

"I do not!" He frowned at the man in the passenger seat before realizing what the man was doing. "Oh, haha, very funny." He said sarcastically.

"Actually, yeah, I am very funny." He winked. "Besides, it should make you feel better to know that no matter how smart you are, I'm still going to treat you like everyone else."

Uchiha thought about that for a minute, then decided that the blond actually had a point. But 'putting his talents to good use' gave Itachi an idea. "hey, I've just remembered that you promised to teach me to play piano."

"That I did." The blond nodded.

"How about we have a lesson today? If you're not too busy. I have to go back to your house to pick up my stuff, anyway."

"And your cat. I was afraid I'd forget to watch out for him, so I just brought him over. I don't know if you saw him at all, though, since he likes sleeping on Sasuke's bed."

"I did see him lurking around the bathroom this morning. Thank you for that, by the way." Good! Another excuse to give the blond some money. And if he requested piano lessons a couple more times this coming week, he'd be able to get the blond even more money without insulting his manliness.

They'd returned to the Uzumaki residence to find a note from Sasuke saying that he'd gone for a visit to the Home. "Good for him. Those kids need any kind of consistency they can get, and he's been slacking on that front. Understandably, of course," Naruto amended, "but I'm sure it made their day to see him again. They've got abandonment issues enough." They had been working at the piano for nearly an hour when Sasuke came home, cheeks and nose red from the cold.

"How's it going?" Sasuke couldn't quite stop his frown at seeing the two of them together so closely on the piano bench, and so he hid his face as he removed his scarf and coat.

"I can name all the notes now, and I think I'm getting the hang of chords. It'll take some time before I can get anything more than this, though." Itachi played a short melody, something Sasuke was pretty sure was meant to be "twinkle, twinkle, little star."

"That sounded, umm, good." Sasuke lied, glancing at Naruto's grinning face and back to Itachi's frowning one. Itachi gave Sasuke a look that let him know that he knew it was terrible.

"Anyway," Uchiha said, pulling their attention away from his genuine frustration at the simple tasking of pressing keys properly, "how was your visit?"

A sincere smile shone on the rosy face. "it was fun. Most of the kids I knew were still there, which was good. I mean, it's bad they haven't been adopted, but I'd forgotten how much I've missed them. And the ones that have left are all doing good, from what I hear."

"Was Haku there?" The blond's smile melted into worry and apprehension.

"No." Sasuke's mouth turned down as well. "Asuma asked me to talk to him next he shows up, but he wasn't there. He used to be so sweet, but I'm afraid of where he's going."

"He definitely needs help, but there's no way he's going to ask for it. He won't tell anyone what happened, and Asuma isn't allowed to share personal details about how Haku ended up at the Home again, but there was some kind of abuse, for sure." Beginnings of anger squirmed in his belly at the thought of anyone hurting the young boy. "He used to have such a beautiful voice—you should hear him sing, Itachi—and now he won't talk to me, his teachers, the younger kids, nobody. Well, except for this guy he's hanging around, though we can't get the name of this man from him and since they haven't actually cone anything wrong (as far as we know), we can't stop it."

"They have their Christmas outing next Wednesday, so hopefully he'll be there, but I'll try to get to the Home earlier than that."

"Sounds good. We'll go together next time." The blond stood and turned to his companion on the bench. "As much fun as it is to watch you struggle, I really do need to get some work done." Itachi sent him a half-hearted glare that he ignored, but the Uchiha was set on getting his own form of payback.

"So how much do you want?"

"What?"

"For the lessons. Even if this is a favor for a friend, it would be unjust not to pay you something." He stopped the blond's coming objection. "I legally have to pay you for your services. If I don't, I'm taking what isn't mine without giving compensation. And that could fall into the category of indentured servitude, or, depending on which state you live in, prostitution."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I've heard that before. Isn't that from a movie?"

"It doesn't matter that the in-flight movie was Iron Man II. What matters is that you take the money before I decide to be difficult by offering you more."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "just do it, Naruto." the blond's gaze shifted to his best friend, and he seemed on the verge of giving in. "come on. He quoted Tony Stark at you. One does not simply argue with Tony Stark."

"Fine. You win." The blond threw his hands up in defeat, and allowed Itachi to place the money hidden in his pocket onto the counter. He frowned at it a moment longer before retreating to his room to retrieve his laptop, binders, and folders full of papers.

With a victorious grin on his face, he faced Sasuke. The young man looked suspicious. "What was that about?"

"Nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it." He gave his boyfriend a peck on the lips. "Try not to be too jealous, okay?" He smiled as Sasuke huffed. "I have to study for finals tomorrow and wrap up a couple projects, and then I need to check on mom. If I get a chance I'll stop by, but I'm not too hopeful that it'll work out. But if I can, may I?"

"of course." Sasuke gave him a quick hug and handed him his bag of stuff.

"Thanks. I'll see you Monday for sure, then."

"See you Monday."

He watched the older man walk out the door, reflecting that their time together always seemed to flash by. He shrugged and waited to see where Naruto settled when he finally came out of his room with his arms full of stuff—the left side of the couch this time, and Sasuke decided that he would study on the floor since Naruto was monopolizing the table. Time passed quickly, as time on the weekends always does, and they worked late into the night. Soon after the sun came up they were back at it.

Around noon, though, Naruto decided that he needed a break. "I'm going to do a little Christmas shopping. Want to come with?"

Sasuke didn't even look up from his spot on the floor, surrounded by books and typing madly. "Can't. I'm on a roll and if I stop now I'm going to lose the momentum."

"Gotcha." He quickly got himself together, grabbing his keys and the money from the counter. "I'll have my cell phone if you need me. Shouldn't be gone more than a couple hours."

Sasuke waved in the wrong direction, not noticing as his attention and gaze never left the computer screen. Naruto smiled as he drove to the mall. Watching his best friend work hard really was inspiring, and after the year he'd had, he wanted Sasuke to have something special to end it with. Shopping for him shouldn't take that long, but since Itachi had been obnoxiously generous, he figured he might as well get a small gift for him and as many children of the Home he could afford. The younger kids always received gifts from donors and sponsors, because those people seemed to think that only small children lived there. Therefore, he felt comfortable in purchasing gifts for the older kids instead. They'd appreciate it more, anyway, and the younger kids wouldn't even know if presented the gifts later once the younger ones had gone to bed.

With this plan in mind, he visited the usual places and nearly an hour had gone by when he noticed he was being followed. He didn't alter his behavior at all, but he kept a watch in reflections in the glass as he walked by a couple shops to try to get a look at this stranger. There was no real way to identify this person, as the face was covered with a scarf and sunglasses. The build suggested a man, and the height and rhythm of the footsteps implied an adult. The person wasn't making any threatening moves, and any interactions with other people were limited to moving around them. He seemed fairly assertive but not necessarily aggressive, so Naruto decided to just ignore it. He had enough problems in his life right now, and if it came down to a fight—well, he'd beaten plenty of people before and surely would be fine in a public place like this, especially with the extra security the shopping center always added this time of year.

Who is this hooded man? What does he want with Naruto? Will Sasuke pass his finals? What is Haku up to? And will Itachi ever improve his piano skills?

Haha anyway now that there is something like free time (I really shouldn't say this because I'm just going to jinx it but) I should be able to update faster, though a reevaluation of where we are in relation to the completion of this story shows that there are probably about a hundred pages left to go, and that's if these characters behave. I've managed to unwrite a character back out, but he's been pushing his way back in so it might end up being longer. We're at a total of 98 pages so far, and that's in small font sooooo…. Yeah.

Feel free to yell at me for taking so long, but if it was worth it all, I wouldn't mind hearing about that too :)


	5. Chapter 5

No, I am not dead. yes, I suck at life so much that it was impossible to tell that I was working on this at all. given the absurd wait I've put you through (between real life and several characters suddenly popping up in the story even though I explained to them very clearly that they did not belong here) so let's just get this going.

888

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you yesterday."

"It's fine." Sasuke responded, waving off the apology. "Being busy sucks, but there's no helping it." His schoolwork had needed attention but it would have been worth skipping it to spend time with Itachi.

"I missed you for more than a week. I barely had time to sleep, much less a chance to contact you. I thought being back, I'd make it happen, but that didn't work out like I thought it would." He glanced at his companion, eyes narrowing as he judged the age of the bruises. These types of bruises don't usually show up for a few days, but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty that he hadn't noticed the signs of their formation. The marks weren't very dark, but it was clear that they had been made by fingers. "So what's the story with those bruises on your neck?"

Self consciously, Sasuke touched the place where he knew the marks were, feeling only the slightest soreness. The bruises looked worse than they felt. "I did mean to tell you. You were falling asleep, remember? And then I went to silence my phone, and when I came back, you were out." HE adjusted his scarf to cover the marks better.

Reluctantly, Itachi nodded. "Point." His fingers tightened on the wheel in an attempt to channel his anger. Just the thought of someone wrapping their fingers around that pale throat made him wish he'd taken up martial arts in his spare time. "Are you really okay? How did it happen?" It just didn't make sense why these things kept happening to him. A nasty twist in his gut reminded him that this could very well be his fault—his half-brother had been sent back right after he arrived, and the timing of the bruises was four or five days ago, which would fit within the possible timeline. Damn.

"Thursday night Kiba invited me to go with him and some of the other guys from class to this party, and I was tired, so I went upstairs to take a nap but while I was trying to sleep some guys I knew showed up." He took a breath. "They were some of Juugo's old buddies. They thought it'd be fun to mess with me."

"And they tried to strangle you?" It sounded like the words were having a hard time leaving Itachi's mouth. No wonder, when Sasuke noticed how tightly his jaw was clenched.

"They considered renewing Juugo's scars, but apparently he's getting out soon so they decided to leave that to him. Wanted to leave something on me though, something that proved they got to me." His arms crisscrossed over his chest, fingers playing with the rough fabric of the seatbelt. Despite how he felt, his voice did not waver. "Anyway, we fought, I got away, but thanks to that incident, everyone at class knows all about it—well, and what they think happened between Juugo and me. They've got my name and they looked me up, and the obnoxious ones pity me while the more obnoxious ones hate me because they think—like Sakura's roommate's boyfriend said—that I'm only with you for your money and that I'm the worst thing for you."

"But—!" Itachi began to say, then abruptly pulled into an empty lot where the old Laundromat used to be.

"What?" He turned his head, looking at the man in confusion for why they had stopped, made even more incomprehensible by the unreadable expression. Itachi's unexpected actions tugged at emotions Sasuke let begin gathering dust, and his subconscious nervousness manifested itself in his fidgeting with his seatbelt buckle.

Itachi moved to face his boyfriend directly and paid no mind as he bumped his head on the ceiling; it was more important at that moment that he look Sasuke in the eye and hold his gaze. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"I know you're not with me for my money—honestly, my funds are running out, but it's not like we've discussed money very much at all. You've probably been the best person to come into my life, because since I've met you, I've felt different, and alive, and…" his hand found its way to the side of Sasuke's face, a reassuring warmth; "and on top of that, seeing the bond that can't be severed between you and Naruto, though you're unconnected by blood, has made me really think about how I handle my family.

"And I'm sorry that I wasn't here when you needed me. That I couldn't protect you. It's possible that this is connected to my half-brother. After all, he was sent away somewhat disgracefully, or so mom told me, and even when father's assistant talked with me when I picked her up, he said that Sai's been acting strange, even for him."

"It wasn't him." Sasuke shook his head a bit, unintentionally dislodging his boyfriend's hand, causing it to fall from Sasuke's cheek and returning to the steering wheel, which his fingers gripped harshly. "No, these guys were getting revenge for what they thought I did to Juugo. It's a completely separate issue from your half-brother." Though now that he thought about it, he might as well share. "Speaking of, though, there were a couple notes in the mail—silly things, vague warnings, and I think that might have been him, but nothing's happened. There's no way you can blame yourself for not being here, either. Your mother needed you, and family should always come first."

This didn't seem to be the answer Itachi wanted, but he accepted it and gave him a peck on the lips before reentering the main road, heeding the time that blinked green on the radio screen.

Sasuke was catching onto Itachi's guilt complex by this point, so he elaborated. "You're my boyfriend, not my bodyguard, it's not like it's your job to protect me, even if you'd like to, and if I do get hurt it's not your fault unless it goes directly to you. None of this 'indirectly, technical fault' thing. You're only responsible if you throw the punch." There was a paradox here, and it was about time to address it. "You've said before that I remind you of your cat—that I'm someone who needs protecting, which I can't deny completely. But, you also want me to fight. Except you can't have both."

"Why not? I want both." He sounded like a man who was used to getting what he wanted, and the childishness of it almost made Sasuke giggle.

"If you're protecting me, then I'm not doing anything on my own. But if I'm doing it all on my own, you aren't protecting me from it all. We need to make this a partnership, you know? I *do* want to do things on my own—that's why I got this job in the first place." He paused, reflecting on the sort-of favor he was asking. "But if I can't do it on my own, if I need help, I'd like to rely on you."

"Of course," Itachi answered, surprised. "There's no shame in asking for help, and I'd love to be the one you turn to." It was his turn to pause, and he thought over what Sasuke was suggesting. A compromise; he could live with that. Previous relationships were nowhere near this balanced, and he appreciated Sasuke all the more for it. "Partnership, hm? Then I won't hesitate to ask you for help if I need it, either."

"So we're good, then." He smiled in relief at the easy settling of their conflict. "And it's not like there was any lasting damage from the other day, anyway." Sasuke added, settling himself back into his seat.

"We're good, but the rest of this situation isn't. You could have gotten permanently hurt!" Itachi's frustration lessened his own, like a vicarious release.

"I guess… well, the semester is almost done, and then we won't have to see these people ever again. Well, I won't, anyway, so I'd rather end on good terms. Not that I'm forgiving them, but really, most people had nothing to do with it, and on Friday they just supported the few who actually were involved. Anyway, I'm sticking with you from now on, and we'll watch out for each other."

Sasuke smiled. "Not that it matters, but the fight this past weekend was four on one, so I'd say I'm not so terribly off as you thought." He tried not to smirk, because given the atmosphere it just didn't seem appropriate, but it was hard to squash it down. When they'd met Itachi had criticized his apparent lack of strength, yet who had been proven right?

It seemed that Itachi recalled the same words that Sasuke did. He powered through the pinkening of his cheeks at being proven wrong so thoroughly, diverting Sasuke. "Still, I'm sure Naruto wasn't thrilled."

"Ugh." The whole weekend he'd felt Naruto's frequent gaze, and they were the wary type of looks like when in the supermarket a child is told 'no' by a parent and all in the vicinity warily watch for the start of a screaming emotional breakdown. Even at his lowest point, Sasuke had never been that bad; at least Naruto tried for subtlety. "I was a bit worried that he'd never let me leave the house again. At least I know he was kidding about going with me wherever I went." He felt this was enough discussion about his problems, however, and he wanted to verify Kiba's story anyhow. "Completely unrelated, but I heard an interesting story about your first day of class."

The older man groaned and gave him a side glance. "Oh, of course you did. No matter who you heard it from, I'm sure it's wrong. Well, parts of it, anyway," he amended. "One day I'll tell you the whole story. It's not very exciting, but I'd rather you know why I can't trust Orochimaru."

Now was as good a time as any to mention that he unintentionally became better acquainted with Orochimaru, but as they exited the car, Itachi changed the topic to clear the air before they entered the classroom. "So I just want to make sure—you see no need for me to say anything to my classmates?"

"None at all. I'd rather just do this as usual. I've dealt with people talking about me and this sort of thing growing up, but I do want to have a talk with Kiba at some point. He was supposed to back me up and he didn't, which isn't unexpected, but he broke his promise to Naruto, and that's a betrayal of Naruto's trust. I don't know how or when I'm going to tell Naruto that Kiba's not the man he thinks he is, but nobody is allowed to do that to my best friend."

Seeing his boyfriend with a fierce expression was new; he couldn't quite dismiss the feeling that Sasuke had changed during his absence, and when it came to how he felt about it, he was equally divided between pride and regret. He followed the younger man down the hallway, admiring the determined set of his shoulders and focused stride, though honestly Itachi couldn't help sneaking a glance or two at Sasuke's finely shaped posterior.

Standing outside the door to the classroom was Kiba, looking at his feet, teeth gnawing on his lip nervously while he fidgeted with his phone, though he never glanced at the device once. At their footsteps approaching, he looked up. His eyes darted down again guiltily a couple times as they came within speaking distance, though when they were close enough that Sasuke wouldn't have to yell to talk to him (that's not to say that Sasuke was not going to yell) Kiba fixed his eyes on Sasuke.

"Before you yell at me—" Kiba began with a slight stammer, "though you have every right to—I'd just like to apologize for being a dick. I should've stopped Sakura when she picked that dress, and I shouldn't have ignored you and I should have believed you especially because I trust Naruto's judgment and I should have supported you at the party when you left—or left with you—or spoken up when Suigetsu started saying things about you that just didn't fit with anything Naruto had said about you." He paused for breath, organizing his words to the core of what he was trying to say. "So… I'm sorry I'm a dumbass. I don't know how to make it up to you, but after class I'm going to talk with Naruto, tell him how I let him down, and then... well, I don't know what after that. Just, I know I was wrong and I know I'm pretty stupid most of the time, and it's all that's been going through my mind all weekend, and now my head hurts."

"That's your brain trying to comprehend its own stupidity." Sasuke threw back without thinking, but Kiba accepted the comment as if he deserved it. Despite Sasuke's best efforts to hold onto the feeling of being wronged, he was moved by the apology. Kiba had admitted to everything Sasuke planned on calling him out on, and besides, Kiba had come to him instead of ducking responsibility brought Sasuke to the conclusion that he should forgive Kiba, at least for the wrongs against himself. "You are pretty stupid, but everyone has their moments, I guess. At least you have the guts to apologize."

The brunet looked at him with an expression of disbelief. "Wait… you mean, you don't hate me?" Sasuke shook his head. "Really?" Sasuke shook his head again, growing a bit impatient. "So, you forgive me?" Growing reluctant in the face of Kiba's need for reassurance, Sasuke nodded. "Oh, thank you, you won't regret it, I promise."

The man moved forward to hug him, but Sasuke threw a hand up to stop him, unintentionally knocking a bit of air out of the man's lungs. "We're not best friends or anything. You start back at the beginning, okay? You don't get to pretend we're friends just 'cause you know Naruto from work." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, eyebrows pulling together as he contemplated how far he was willing to go with this. "You are going to apologize to him, right?" The man nodded vigorously, silent for once. "In person?" This time there was a bit of hesitation, but he nodded again, firmly. "He has detention duty today, but I can give you directions to get to the school."

"Yeah, that'll be fine. I'd rather tell him now, that way he'll be cooled off by the time the holidays come. I don't want him to spend Christmas angry, especially since he's already got my promise to help out with kids from his old home, and I'd hate to ruin his New Year by telling him after the holidays are done." As he and Itachi followed Kiba into the classroom, Itachi mouthed the word 'dress' at him accompanied by a raised eyebrow, which rose further when Sasuke's cheeks grew a bit rosy. "Please, just don't ask."

Upon entering the classroom, Sasuke remembered the awkward feeling from before. However, while two or three glared at him—students who had been at Thursday's party—the majority seemed to be going about as usual. This made Sasuke feel a little silly; of course they weren't all going to be glaring at him and hating him. Sure, there was nonsense and drama here, but this wasn't high school—they'd had the weekend to cool off, and had clearly decided that it was too much effort for anything beyond the odd glance. This was a place of adults, beyond the silliness and over dramatization of younger years. Oh, how he loved college.

His intent was to walk with his head held high back to the changing area and wait for Kakashi to tell him who would dress him today—his only hope was that it would not be another dress, because regardless of the circumstances he did not want Itachi to see him in a dress. There were some humiliations he would not allow, his pride be damned—he'd back down from the challenge this time, if it came down to it. However, Kiba unexpectedly continued to talk to him, and he did so in his usual loud, top-of-his-voice way. "So today's your last day, huh? Do you have finals for all of your classes?"

Itachi purposely brushed against Sasuke's arm and when the younger man looked him in the eye and nodded to let him know he'd be fine, he went to set up his stuff hurriedly, using this rare opportunity that Kakashi was on time to talk to his teacher about making up for the work he'd missed.

Sasuke assessed the reactions of the few that apparently hadn't forgiven him—noting that Orochimaru was absent—(and he had to remember to tell Itachi that Orochimaru was the one that helped him, and maybe that would lessen the tension between them), but Sakura & co. seemed to be less annoyed now that Kiba was openly being friendly to Sasuke. Well, they stopped giving him unwarranted dirty looks, though the three girls on the left side were whispering to each other and if Sasuke wasn't wrong, it sounded like they were talking about gathering up a donation for the poor little orphan or something. He was starting to think he preferred the glaring—at least when people had pitied him in high school, they'd just given him extra cookies at lunch or slipped packs of gum in his locker. But if these people were going to give him money—wait, that would be good. He could give it to the kids to buy presents for each other when they went holiday shopping in a few days.

Answering Kiba's question, he replied, "Yeah. I have five finals, but one is more of a final paper so I don't have to sit for that exam, but then one's tomorrow, then next Monday and Tuesday, and the last is on Wednesday." Not for the first time, he wondered what the grading system was like for an art class; but because he was trying to rebuild a friendship here, now didn't seem like the best time to comment on the apparent lack of a system. He didn't want to make it seem like he thought this class had little practical value. "What about you? Do you have a lot of studying to do?"

Inuzuka crinkled his nose in disgust as he set up his materials. "I procrastinated and played too much this semester. I got a lot of work done here, and I've improved a lot—see?" Kiba pulled out a drawing that was dated months before and there was indeed a drastic improvement when held it side-by-side with his drawing from last week, though truth be told even the first picture was better than anything Sasuke could do. "But my other grades have fallen. I'm terrible at calculus and I hate reading, so I'm going to be stuck inside until my finals are over. They're only general ed classes, though, so the testing shouldn't be that intense." He turned in his chair to face Sakura, clearly to ask her about her testing situation, but before his mouth even opened to form the words, he processed the mixed look she was sending Sasuke's way, and so he turned right back to the young Uzumaki. "Anyway, I have to thank you. I mean really all you did was sit there, but from what Kakashi told me when we conferenced about my portfolio, getting to know you helped my technique practice."

"Thank you. Really, I'm the one who's grateful here." He raised his voice so he could be heard by those who wanted to listen; the quiet chatter slackened. "Other than the incident last Thursday, which really just comes down to zealous gossip, it's been fun getting to know everyone."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Kiba startled a bit and Sasuke just barely held his ground as seemingly-out-of-nowhere the art teacher appeared between the boys. "I'll miss you, kiddo. It's been nice having someone nearly as gorgeous as me in the same room." His comment had the desired effect of drawing the attention of all his students to himself amid eye-rolling and giggling.

Kakashi didn't need to raise his voice to be heard by all; he announced the winner with no fanfare. "So out of all your portfolios, Kiba's was the best," the smile on the man's face looked about to break his face, it was so wide. "That means he chooses what our model wears today. Keep in mind that this is our last session with him. Next class we'll be going over the final requirements of your portfolios so you can officially hand them in. For now, try to get in any angles or details you need because, like I said, this is Ritsuka's—excuse me, Sasuke's last day."

"Come on." With a bounce in his step, Kiba pulled Sasuke to the back room to pick out something to wear. He looked around for a minute or two, rifling through several stacks of clothing before turning to the younger man. "Is there anything you want to try? It's your last day, so you might as well."

"Are you sure? This is your final chance to work on anything you want. That's what Kakashi said."

"Yeah, I know, but the only thing I was having trouble with the other day was your hair and I got that figured out now. There isn't anything in particular I need to practice atm."

Sasuke suppressed an eye roll at the abbreviation and tried to think of something good. "All right, so something that can be drawn as a whole. Nothing too complicated." Maybe if he picked something super manly, it'd cancel out the atrocity Sakura tricked him into the other day. He noticed a realistic looking prop sword. "How about a swordsman?"

"You were a knight before, remember? I think it'd be too similar, plus we've got to keep it simple." He gestured to a sand-colored robe and pants, along with a bright, bladed plastic weapon. "Are you familiar with Jedi?"

"Yes," Sasuke said with a sigh. "Naruto's made me watch those movies over and over, but it's not really my thing. He's more of the nerdy type than I am."

"Alright, we gotta choose fast though," he urged, dropping the lightsaber and throwing his eyes about the room. "Oooh, here's a tool belt. If we can find a hardhat, you should do construction worker."

It wasn't Sasuke's ideal choice, but since he couldn't think of anything else, he helped Kiba locate the appropriate headwear. Jeans and a reflective orange vest were easy enough to find, but apparently there wasn't a single t-shirt to be found, not even of any sort. "Well, Itachi will surely love it," Kiba said, looking on the bright side metaphorically, but he was looking at Sasuke's bare chest while he said it.

Sasuke would rather not go mostly shirtless, partly because he wasn't sure if Itachi would be irrationally jealous (and he was of two minds about which he preferred when it came to that) but also it was undeniably cold in the classroom, and the vest wouldn't cover enough and he'd be freezing before long… but Kakashi was knocking on the door and the rest of the class waiting, so he acquiesced. The work boots were thick, so his feet would stay toasty, but he had goose bumps all over his whole upper half.

A couple playful cat-calls greeted him, and he with only a touch of self-consciousness adjusted his tool belt. Hardly bothering to be subtle about it, he turned to see his boyfriend's reaction as he positioned himself on the podium. While looking none too pleased (but also very pleased if the glint in his eyes was anything to go by), Itachi carried on as usual; the rest of the class did as well, and all in all it was a pleasant final day.

Afterwards, when they'd finally made it to the car and Sasuke was looking forward to hanging out with Itachi since they hadn't been able to all last week, he was disappointed to hear that Itachi had other plans. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. It'll have to be next time."

Sullenly, Sasuke sucked on the flavored candy cane that some of the girls had been handing out during art class. "Are you mad that I wore that outfit today? Is that why?"

"No, it's not like that. Besides, as long as it's not outrageous or terribly indecent, I have no control over what you wear. It's your body and your decision. I don't find overbearing jealousy romantic, and I doubt you do."

Although Sasuke knew it was improper to distract someone from driving, he leaned over with a hand on Itachi's shoulder and kissed his cheek, right next to his mouth. Close to the older man's ear, he said, "that's one of the things I really like about you. You're so rational." If Sasuke didn't know better, he'd think Itachi was a little embarrassed, though saying those words himself showed more boldness than he usually felt.

"Logic is just so sexy. I can't seem to help myself," Itachi said, and they shared a laugh.

They shared a kiss when they reached Sasuke's home, and the younger man walked inside, reluctant to part from his boyfriend so soon but hurried by the cold. He set up his homework area at the table so he could study and work on his final projects, yet the ringing of the landline had him running to answer it before he could begin. With trepidation, he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Sasuke?"

He knew that voice, though his brain couldn't find the face it went with. "Yes?"

All the blood drained from his face as he absorbed the words coming to him from the speaker. "I thought you might like to know that we have Naruto."

888

As Itachi pulled out of Sasuke's driveway, he thought over his decision again. Pretty much all he wanted to do lately was spend time with Sasuke, but it had led to slacking in other areas of his life. For one, his workout routine had gone to hell. The weather was cold and the days were short, so it was hard enough already to convince himself just to run. Yet stress was building up in his life, and it needed an outlet. His worry over his mother's situation was his latest concern, true, though she refused to tell him any details as of yet. And there were other problems, too. His academic career hadn't exactly been easy—he'd earned every grade he'd received and admit without arrogance that he didn't have to work as hard as his peers despite the age difference.

His customary confidence didn't help him much in art, though. It wasn't really at all what he'd expected, and though he enjoyed it, he had a feeling that this wasn't what he should be spending time on nor could he make a career out of it. For that was his third major concern: money. He wasn't used to monitoring what he spent, and it wasn't until he went to register for next semester that he realized he had enough money for the next semester, but nothing after that. To make it worse, there was only money left for tuition in the spring. Once that was deducted from his account, he would have a couple hundred left which wouldn't nearly cover supplies for his classes, not to mention rent, utilities, bills, and food or gas for his car. It all gave him a rather uncomfortable feeling, and he couldn't quite figure out what he should do.

No. He knew what he should do—quit art school, treat it as the indulgence of a hobby that it was, and find a job at a law firm again. He hadn't hated the work, and nobody he'd ever worked with could honestly say that he was anything but excellent. Still, to just go to back to that after such a short break…

His thoughts were clearer while he was physically doing something, so he stopped home to grab his workout bag and headed to the gym.

When he'd left his father's law firm, he had only really taken what he'd earned (the car was questionable, but his father still had the Lamborghini, so no guilt there), though officially, he never quit any of the exclusive clubs that he and his family belonged to. Stepping into the building, however, he realized that going there meant that he would most likely run into former coworkers and rivals. His father would never be there, and his half-brother preferred the solitude of their home gym, but the Fitness Center and Spa might not be the de-stressor he sought.

Worth the risk, he thought, as the attendants happily welcomed him. Although it seemed such a long time since he'd come here, it really wasn't all that much time at all; the world flowed differently for the lower classes, he supposed, though he had enough self-awareness to realize how snobby the thought was. Still, being here reminded him of all he had during his generally carefree days, when his biggest worry was how to mess with Sai and keep him occupied with someone else. Now, though… well, he couldn't go back. He never thought his father would chose money and exploitation over his own son.

He laced his sneakers nice and tight, focusing on the feel of the shoelaces. He came here to clear his head, not to dwell in nostalgia. Shorts and t-shirt feeling a little more snug than he remembered, he claimed the nearest machine and got going, losing himself in the rhythm of his music and the comforting mindlessness of his feet pounding against the treadmill.

The machine beeped at him twice then slowed down, and his confusion cleared when he realized he'd run for an hour already and the treadmill was just going into automatic shutdown. Stiffly he climbed off and motioned to a nearby attendant, who handed him a water bottle and wiped down the machine for him. He reentered the locker-room, feeling light and almost giddy, though he knew his muscles would get back at him the rest of the week. He opened his locker, trying to decide if he wanted to shower here or go home first. There was a message from Naruto, a jumbled voicemail that was just background noise.

Thoughts making him heavy again, he took a seat on the bench. Sasuke was another reason for worry. He felt it was only a matter of time before Sai tried something, and if the recent incident was any indication, Sai was growing bolder. Silly, harmless pranks of the past had a completely different meaning in the context of Sasuke's life—the man had faced enough trouble, and Itachi didn't want Naruto to get caught in the cross-fire, either. Was there maybe a permanent solution, something that would keep Sai preoccupied long-term? Finding a girlfriend for Sai didn't work (complete failure), nor a boyfriend (only less of failure because father's reaction was amusing), and he seemed to have no interest in anything not commanded by their father or possessed by Itachi.

"I guess I'm running again," Itachi mumbled to himself, a habit that he realized he must have picked up in art classes. All those kids talked to themselves and mumbled, and now on top of his relationship worries, he had picked up on their uncultured mannerisms. Fantastic.

"Excuse me."

Well, damn. Itachi knew he sounded crazy, talking to himself, but proper etiquette in this situation would surely be to ignore the crazy person, right? "I'm sorry," he apologized, standing and returning his phone to his locker and keeping his head down, embarrassed. "Just thinking out loud."

"No, I mean I know you."

Hopefully it doesn't show on my face how much I hope that isn't so. "That would be my luck lately." A pleasant surprise it was, however, as Kisame had been one of the few people he honestly liked. Except, there hadn't been any contact between them since Itachi left, so this might not actually be a happy meeting. Kisame certainly wasn't sending any non-verbal signals—seems he's finally got a hang of 'the neutral expression' we practiced for so long.

"Hello, Itachi."

"Hello, Kisame." Itachi hated these kinds of moments. He still couldn't get a read on Kisame. Though his body language didn't project any hostility, his voice sounded like he was holding back antagonism. "How have you been?"

The narrowing of eyebrows betrayed Kisame's confusion and, worse, anger. "Didn't know you cared."

"What? Of course I care." He knew people considered him to be a cold person, but he didn't realize that people thought he was that heartless. "We worked together for years. Of course I care how you're doing."

"It's not like I could tell, you know." His arms dropped to his sides, fists balled up.

Itachi recalled that Kisame had once mentioned he had anger management problems in middle and high school. He really, really hoped that he hadn't done anything to make Kisame that angry. He hadn't had time to learn martial arts yet, and it would be embarrassing to have to call for help in this place. Still, he wasn't really sure why Kisame was so angry at him in the first place. "Well, it's not like you contacted me, either." He snapped.

"You're impossible, you know? I thought we were friends, and then you just walk out! If you hate me, than just say so!" Large hands gestured emphatically.

"I don't hate you!"

"Then why didn't you let me know what was going on?!" There were traces of hurt in the words now. "Every time I asked, you said you were fine!"

"So you're upset that I didn't tell you everything I was thinking?!" There hadn't been anybody he could confide in; at that time, he couldn't trust anyone, especially those in the office. "It's not like you were my boyfriend or anything!"

Kisame looked a bit stung by that comment. "That's not the point! You're supposed to tell your subordinates before you abandon us!"

"I wasn't going to force you all out of jobs just because I was leaving mine! That wouldn't be fair at all"

"…"

"…"

"Well that's actually pretty nice of you!"

"Yes, it was!" He stopped, finally noticing they had inadvertently chased out all other occupants of the locker rooms. "Why are we shouting?"

"I don't know." Kisame smiled then, and Itachi figured he was partly forgiven. They sat on the bench side by side, staring at the lockers.

"I didn't mean… I never realized that anyone would feel abandoned if I left."

"Not everyone thought that way, but… yes, some of us did." A pause. "I did."

"I'm sorry. I was sure I was doing the right thing, but I was also quite sure that it wasn't the smart thing to do, and it just wasn't—"

"I liked you."

"I liked you, too. Like I said, I never hated anybody; there were just irreconcilable differences with my father—"

"No, I mean I /_liked_/ you. Was actually convinced that I loved you for a while."

"Oh." There was an awkward pause, and Itachi desperately sought for something before the silence got worse. "That's, err…"

"Not anymore. I think I just got caught up in the upheaval when you left, and there was stuff going on with my family at the time, so… you know, it felt like a really big deal at the time, but looking back, I think I just needed to get laid."

"I… see."

Kisame laughed. "No need to be awkward about it now. It's in the past, and it wasn't serious, so don't worry about it. So tell me, my little sister's best friend goes to that art school—the famous one, that had the pottery exhibit that nearly hurt someone? She said that she saw you."

"Yes, I attend art classes there. For now, anyway." Itachi frowned. "I didn't realize I was that recognizable."

"No, it's not that. She heard the Uchiha name, and then I guess when she passed by you, well, you look too much like Fugaku-san for there to be any mistake."

"Hn." He didn't like being told that he looked like his father. He resembled his mother enough, but he inherited his father's cheekbones and, according to gossip at the water cooler, the same intimidating aura. "So what about you? What are you up to?"

"Still at the firm, though it was a bit touchy there for a while. Especially recently."

"Why? Is Fugaku okay?"

"He's fine. As fine as I can tell, anyway, because you know he doesn't really communicate with a lowly subordinate like me." His big hands slicked back his sweaty hair from his eyes, the deep shade appearing almost blue when wet like this. "I mixed up some files. Right papers, wrong folders, that type of thing, but it caused a lot of trouble at the DA's office. I think I nearly got fired then."

"That doesn't sound like you. You're clumsy, but you always double check yourself and you're generally the first person to catch your mistakes."

"You really do know me. Actually, I broke up with my partner the week before. He said I wasn't vocal enough. Wanted 'I love you' fifty times a day, apparently."

"Was it true?" asked Itachi, thinking that Kisame didn't seem to have that problem when it came to /him/.

"I guess." He shrugged, rather obviously trying to appear unbothered. "I didn't realize it was a serious issue to him or that it was a pivotal argument at that time, so I told him that he was vocal enough for the both of us." Itachi winced imagining how well that went over, and Kisame nodded. "I don't mind a screamer, but he was over the top, you know? Anyway," Kisame carried on with a hint of embarrassment, "next day when I arrived home, all his stuff was gone and he'd left a note—a /_note_/—saying that it was over."

"Sounds rough."

"And what about you? We hear things through the grapevine. Things like Sai chasing off not one or two but a total of five of your boyfriends."

"Not exactly true. The first he bribed, and the next two he seduced, but the three after that he harassed—mildly, but still—so I think that brings the interference count to six, not counting while I was still here."

"Wow. That's impressive." The scalding look had Kisame rethinking his word choice. "Not that I think he's amazing, more like… he must really hate you, to put that much time into making you unhappy."

"I can't argue with that." His phone remained regrettably silent in his hand. Didn't Sasuke ever miss him? The man hadn't texted him even once. "My boyfriend right now, though... he's tough. I doubt Sai will have ever meet someone like him before." "Do you remember that one blond? The loud one, a while back, nearly started a fight with the security team?"

"The man that burst into your office after convincing the secretary that he had an appointment? I don't think anyone will forget. It was the first time any of us saw you lose your cool."

Itachi could only chuckle at the memory of his first meeting with Naruto. "He insisted that if I really was the best, then I would help him for free."

"You never got a penny out of him, did you?"

"Not a cent. Considering who it ended up helping, I'm glad I didn't."

"You mean… really? Hmm. Funny how these things work out."

"Yes." Itachi replied quietly. His thumb hovered over Sasuke's name in his contact list, considering texting him. He didn't want to be pushy, though, so he shut his phone with a sigh.

"You really like him, don't you? I've never seen you act so much like a regular person as you did just now."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "A regular person, hm?" Kisame was a blunt as ever. That was one of the things he'd liked about the man, however. Not everything had changed. "I really like him. At first I thought I just wanted him, then I thought it was more of a protective instinct, but the more time I spend with him, the less I want to be away from him." He adjusted his ponytail, a little embarrassed. "I can't stop thinking about him. Even with the recent family issues, he's practically all I think about."

"Then I'll give you some free advice: tell him. Never assume that he'll 'just know' or that you've said it enough." Kisame grabbed his bag and headed for the door. "I have an early day tomorrow, so I'm out. Keep in touch this time, alright?" Itachi waved back until the door swung shut again. Packing up his own things and finally fishing out the sweatshirt he'd begun looking for half an hour ago, he reflected that Kisame gave surprisingly good advice.

888

Sneaking out of class had been easy enough, and regardless of complications in their friendship, Sakura and Kiba had made a pact to cover for each other no matter what, so Kiba knew he'd be fine. The clock in his car told him that if he had stayed in class, he'd only just be leaving now; grateful for Sasuke's advice, the brunet climbed out of his car and speed-walked his way into Naruto's school. Children were everywhere in the hall and a few gave him odd looks as he made his way to the front office. Once he had a visitor's pass and had gotten directions to the proper classroom from the vice principal—a large, muscular man who managed to make the instructions rhyme—he navigated to Naruto's classroom, trying to put together what he wanted to say.

The door was opened, he saw as he approached, though since he still hadn't figured out the best way to say what he wanted to say, maybe just hanging by the door for a sec couldn't hurt. He heard three voices, one he recognized and two that sounded like little girls, so there obviously were still students in there. That must suck, since school is over so it's not fair that Naruto didn't get to go home yet. But peeking inside, Kiba realized that Naruto looked perfectly content as he pulled another textbook off the shelf and leafed through it as he spoke to the two children (actually a boy and a girl, oops, though the boy's voice hadn't dropped yet cause he was still such a kid so it's totally okay that Kiba thought they were both little girls.) Were middle schoolers always this young? Anyway, the blond totes fit as a teacher.

Kiba saw the stiff set of Naruto's shoulders, too, and seeing the evidence of already present stress sent Kiba on an extended guilt trip. His palms began to sweat even though he'd removed his gloves, but as he started to loosen his scarf as well Naruto looked up and stared him right in the eye, as if he knew Kiba had been there the whole time.

"Sasuke told me you have detention duty today," Kiba's stupid mouth said, even though that did not explain why he had come to Naruto's school.

The blond eyed him carefully. "I ended up switching with someone else. I can leave as soon as the other teacher comes back from the restroom… ah, speak of the devil." A merry looking brunet entered, and Kiba waited for Naruto as he got his stuff and exchanged farewells with the other teacher. Naruto kept his toothy smile on as he waved to his students until he and Kiba were in the now deserted hallway.

With half a glare formed, he turned on Kiba. The Vice-Principal, known to students and teachers alike as simply "Mr. B," had told him through the intercom that he had a visitor coming to his classroom, and while his first assumption had been Sasuke, he had a feeling sooner or later that Kiba's guilt would bring him to Naruto. After being avoided at work since the incident Sasuke had at the party, Naruto found the brunet's silence suspicious. Well, it had only been a matter of time before Kiba came to him. "So what do you want?"

"To apologize."

Sincere enough, Naruto supposed, and the steady eye contact affirmed Kiba's too-often-hidden maturity. "For what?" Naruto knew very well 'what,' but the blond felt this young man would benefit from voicing his transgressions.

"For not doing all in my power to help out Sasuke. I could have stuck up for him better, and I should have protected him any way I could, just like I'd promised you. I didn't watch out for him. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, lemme know."

"For starters, I got a ride to school today so I'd like a ride to my second work." The original plan had been public transportation, but this would be quicker, minus the danger of falling asleep on the bus and sleeping through his exit stop. "Though that doesn't even begin to cover it. I wish I could beat you bloody, but this isn't the right environment for that." He gave his best smile as he cracked open the front office door and poked his head in. "See you tomorrow!" The secretary returned his words and he shut the door.

He couldn't drop his smile until they left school grounds, so he spoke through his grinning mouth words that did not match the cheer on his face. "If I had my way, I'd douse you in burning oil, then chop off your manhood and feed it to goats." The brunet's face had gone pale as milk and the car keys he'd pulled out of his pocket fell from his hand. "Don't worry," he chuckled merrily, "I am not so cruel. Simply apologize to Sasuke, and I won't have to break your hands."

"My hands?" He stood aghast, the threat making him forget that he'd already done so. "But—I have finals coming up, I'd fail everything! They're all I have!"

"The way you failed me, betrayed my trust and allowed my best friend to be hurt? You've seen the bruises on his neck, haven't you? The scars on his leg? Had circumstances been even slightly different, he could have been hurt much worse, even permanently." Maybe he should break Kiba's hands anyway, just so this boy would understand how Naruto had felt when Sasuke walked in the other night, pretending he was fine but looking just a bit too fragile…

"I—" but whatever Kiba was, he apparently didn't have words for. The sounds of the parking lot—teachers continuing conversations, cars starting up, buses pulling out onto the main road, and students who wouldn't (couldn't) go home blasted their music from the tennis courts next to the school—these noises, though clearly audible, seemed like a whisper on a faint breeze compared to the silence between these two men.

Naruto found himself unable to look at Kiba anymore, and climbed into the man's car, brushing crumbs off the seat before sitting down. The car shook as Kiba got behind the wheel, but Naruto ignored him completely. Though his anger remained strong, his disappointment grew equal to it. Was there truly no one he could rely on?

"I can be really useless, I know, but I swear I didn't know what was happening to him. I saw him go upstairs, and he looked really tired so I figured he just wanted to lie down. I never saw the other guys go up, and when he came back down they were all shouting at each other and he left right then. Once he left, I should have tried to get people to listen, because Sakura's boyfriend wasn't telling the story right, and the next day I should have treated him like normal. I already apologized for being a dick to him, but he was angrier with me for betraying your trust than for my lack of helping him. He's had some trouble, true, but he's a good kid. He'll be okay."

That would have to be good enough. "Alright. I don't totally forgive you, but for now I'll let it pass." He pulled a full-sized energy drink out of his bag and chugged it all in one go, too tired to bother noticing the impressed yet concerned look on Kiba's face. "Thanks for the ride."

"Um, do you want me to walk you in?" Kiba asked, though Naruto couldn't see why he bothered asking when he was already out of the car and walking beside Naruto. 'Ruuuuuude,' the blond drawled in his head, wondering which level of weird it would be to gesture along with his thoughts. Naruto stumbled, but caught himself with a hand on the wall. "Dude, you don't look so good."

"One. Don't call me 'dude,'" his chest felt heavy, and it was like his lungs had to work harder to get the air in. Unnerving, but not unfamiliar. Too much caffeine did that to him sometimes. "And two, the caffeine hasn't hit me yet. I'll be fine in a moment." He leaned against the wall to steady himself and fiddled with his jacket, focusing on feel of his zipper to repel the dizziness.

"Look, I'll take your shift, let me just get you back home."

And lose the hours? Not a chance. He needed the money, therefore he needed to work. It's not like he could work the way he did in college; he was a respectable person now, after all. "Absolutely not. See? I'm all better." His head had cleared, that wasn't a lie, and if he could make it to his lunch break in a few hours, then he'd get his hands on some more soda. As if he had no lingering lightheadedness, he strode into his workplace and straight to the back, where he quickly changed his clothes, stowed his bag and briefcase full of school papers, and clocked in. When he came back out to the front, he was marginally dismayed to see Kiba talking to his manager. Best to cut that birds' wings, Naruto thought, before it tries to fly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Manager, how are you?" Naruto greeted with enthusiasm and projecting an energetic façade, in hopes of dispelling any doubts Kiba may have planted.

The man smiled at the nickname, but frowned as he turned and saw Naruto's face. "I'm doing well, but I'm afraid Kiba might be right. You look pale. Do you want to sit down?"

"What?" Abandoning cheerful and energetic, he scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm fine. And of course I'm pale. Between the shorter days and all the snow we've been having, the sun and I haven't seen each other in some time."

"You've been working hard, very hard lately, and Kiba's volunteered to work for you. You'll be better off if you go home and get some sleep."

His head felt like it was getting tighter as the thought of a smaller paycheck loomed. Over his manager's shoulder, he saw a tall man with dark hair and skin like snow enter the restaurant. The face looked familiar, and when their eyes met, Naruto saw recognition spark. The man moved out of Naruto's narrowing field of vision, and the unexpected element of the strangely familiar man ripped a tear in his hold on everything. "No! I'm not letting *him* work in my place. He's a slacker and he's always skipping out on work and I can't believe that you're taking anything he says as credible! I'm fine! I don't need any help!"

There was so much more he wanted to say, all those words he'd bit back because he knew they wouldn't get it or wouldn't care, but he felt the uncomfortable sensation of a hundred eyes staring. It prompted him to look around, and he saw that both customers and employees were staring at him. He faced his manager, realizing his mistake too late.

"Naruto, you're shouting."

'Well, duh,' was Naruto's first instinct, but something told him that wouldn't be appropriate at this time. "Sorry," he said instead, "I'm going to… er, maybe sitting down might a thing I could do." Was that a sentence? The blond tried to put all his focus into dissecting the sentence, but it wasn't working.

In his life, he'd passed out a couple times from not sleeping, drinking too much caffeine, not eating enough, and working too hard, and he'd even been hospitalized once way back in high school, so Naruto was perfectly familiar with the feeling of his body shutting itself down. The point of his vision narrowed rapidly to the confused faces of his manager and Kiba, and he realized he would not be making it to a chair. Although he felt his mouth moving, his ears couldn't hear the words and with the feel of the cold tiles smacking into his back he couldn't even spare a thought to hope he didn't hit his head too hard.

Watching Naruto fall was eerie, as if everything moved in slow motion. Kiba tried to move forward, but he wasn't nearly quick enough. As the first person to reach Naruto, naturally he was the first to panic. Grabbing the bond's shoulders, he yelled at his face, "Hey! Wake up! Come on, are you okay?" He knew better than to shake the blond, but it was hard to resist the impulse.

Luckily, the manager had a bit more sense. "Clear away from him, give him some space. Has someone called the paramedics?"

"Don't." It was barely a whisper, so Naruto repeated himself, louder this time. "Don't. If you call them, they'll try to make me stay at the hospital. I can't… I don't want that." Wisely, Naruto did not try to sit up, but he opened his eyes and carefully patted the back of his head to make sure he wasn't bleeding. And he thought his head had hurt earlier… that was nothing compared to this.

His manager, like so many people, was helpless against those blue, blue eyes. Though they were not close friends, the manager understood enough of the blond's situation to know that he meant that he couldn't afford going to the hospital, and so he gave in reluctantly. "Is there someone we can call for you?"

"Yeah." He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it over, gradually becoming more aware. There were people crowded around him, despite the manager's insistence that they back off, and Kiba was removing his jacket and placing it under Naruto's head for a cushion. "Call Itachi. He's a nurse, so he can take care of this." There was a chance that Itachi was at his house and with Sasuke, which would mean that Sasuke would find out, but there was no other option.

The manager nodded and began to search for the proper phone number on the blond's phone, but before he found it, Kiba had already phoned Naruto's house. If he had the strength, he might've smacked Kiba, but he couldn't convince his arms to do it.

"Is this Sasuke?" Kiba asked. A pause. "I thought you might like to know that we have Naruto," Kiba continued.

"What are you doing?" Naruto whisper-shouted, the most volume he could muster at the moment, and swatted at Kiba's leg, feeling an infinitesimal burst of strength at the man's idiot wording. It sounded like he'd been kidnapped or something. The man frowned and walked away from his reach; Naruto's attempt to follow him brought more dizziness so he slid back down, following his manager's urging to lean against the partition.

"When I say we, I mean, this is Kiba, and I'm at our work cause I drove him here after I apologized and he wasn't looking so good and I'm pretty sure he needs to sleep or something so if you could come here and get him home that would be great. I'd do it myself, but I need to stay and cover his hours."

The conversation carried on, but it was too late now. Hopefully, he could downplay it enough later that Sasuke wouldn't worry about it. Sasuke needed as few distractions as possible to study for his finals and get his projects done, and Naruto did not intend to let worry for his well being be a distraction.

"Should I still call this other guy?" his manager asked, still holding the blond's phone, and Naruto knew he was lucky to have such an understanding boss.

"No, that's alright. He's probably already at my house anyway. He hangs out with my roommate." Embarrassed at his actions and show of weakness, Naruto could not bring himself to look his manager in the eye or look around at any of his coworkers or customers, most of whom were still staring at him despite the employees assuring people that "everything was fine" and "there's no need for concern, it's under control" and "no, I don't think an incident with an employee qualifies you for a discount."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this for a while," his manager said as he crouched next to his fallen employee, not looking at Naruto's eyes either. "But I think it might be better for you if you had more time to rest. You're already teaching full time, and while you do have incredible energy and endurance, I don't think you should be trying to keep up with all the hours you've been taking on."

Naruto began to feel dizzy again. "Are you… firing me? You could at least wait until I had the strength to stand, you know." He lacked the vigor to even sound bitter, though in this case that was a good thing.

"No, I just think you need to cut back on your hours. You may the money, but it certainly can't be worth the cost of your health. You can't buy healthy, you have to live it."

As much as he wanted to roll his eyes, the man had a point. "I'll agree to cutting back to twenty hours a week."

"Ten."

The tone gave no room for argument, so Naruto figured he'd let it slide for now and renegotiate when he looked more convincing. "Fine. Ten." He turned to Kiba, intending to ask when Sasuke (and Itachi) would arrive, but he saw again the dark-haired man. Sitting at a bare table by the door, legs crossed and arms folded, his expressionless face betrayed nothing as he walked out. The fact that he hadn't purchased anything and how closely he'd been watching Naruto gave the blond the feeling that not only was this man the one who had tailed him briefly at the mall, but he had come into here expressly to observe him.

While much less impulsive than his high school and college days, Naruto began to have that feeling that he shouldn't be doing this much. Part of the discomfort in his stomach was undoubtedly caused by the massive amounts of caffeine warring with his lack of sleep, but a greater part—way more than he'd been able to admit to himself lately—was because he'd taken on too much. Every morning he woke up worrying about money; as he brushed his teeth, he tried to work out how many days more he could stretch the toothpaste. Each meal he ate seemed a smaller portion than the last; whenever Sasuke wasn't home, he turned the heat down so it wouldn't kick on at all; and each night as he laid warm in bed, unable to sleep between guilt from deceiving Sasuke like this and anxiety over how to pay his bills, he'd nod off to visions of what life would be like with no bills or if he ever found his family and they turned out to be wealthy…

On the rare paydays when he had a bit of money leftover, he felt so rich that he didn't have to decide between buying cheese or eggs but could get both. But there was another way. He could abandon his pride once again, and all this work wouldn't be necessary. More than that, he couldn't handle this. The stress between jobs and taking care of his best friend—who, through no fault of his own, heightened Naruto's constant state of stress—and trying to do all he could for the children left in The Home, all this was in no way relieved by the private pursuit of his dreams; no matter how much he wanted to find his family, after nearly three months with nothing to show, he'd have to call it off.

Speaking of calling it off, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was not an impulse he was feeling but the culmination of months and months of stress built on a life where the very foundation was stress and unrest and so few stable elements… well, there was only one thing to do.

"I quit." Oh, those words were delicious.

"What?" His manager looked very worried, and Naruto almost took those words back. This man had been indulgent with him, and to let him down just before the holiday season could ruin their friendship.

Sasuke came bursting through the doors, heedless of customers and employees alike, rushing over to where Naruto was attempting once more to stand. "Are you okay? What happened?" He helped the blond to stand. "Do you need anything? I parked right out front; you don't have to walk far. Do you want to go to the doctor? What do you need me to do?" His cheeks were bright rosy red from the cold and from rushing about, yet underneath the red, the skin was paler than usual. His rapid breathing and sweaty palms shakily supporting the blond reminded him why he didn't want Sasuke to know that anything had happened.

Naruto let go of the nearby table he'd pulled himself up by and placed it on Sasuke's cheek, checking the temperature. He was no doctor, but it felt colder than it should have. "I'm fine. Everyone's just overreacting. Get the car going again, I'll be out in a moment." He shushed the protest. "I can walk on my own. Kiba's getting my bag from the back, but I just need to confirm something with my manager." Showing a surprising amount of tact that may have been worry that Naruto would be angry with him again for calling Sasuke here in the first place, Kiba said nothing but did as asked and retrieved Naruto's bag from the back.

Clearly wanting to argue, Sasuke left. Poor kid probably only acquiesced because he thought Naruto might collapse again. Though without the weight of his second job, he already felt much better and the need to puke his guts out had diminished. Turning to his manager, he continued, "sorry, but I really can't handle this much stress. Obviously, I've been in denial about what I can reasonably accomplish, and this definitely isn't something I can keep up with. I don't mean to do this to you at this time, but I really don't think there's any way I can make it work."

A heavy sigh and a slump of shoulders were the only indicators of disappointment. "No, it's alright. You've already done more than any employee I've ever had, and you've helped me out more times than I can remember. I'll feel better knowing that you'll be healthier this way. Though I have to ask, are you able to finish out your shifts this week, or should I start finding someone to replace you?"

Kiba returned, and handing Naruto his bag, decided to stick to his fairly new resolver to be a better friend. "I'll take all his shifts. If I'm already working that day, then I'll work a double." Naruto's leftovers of guilt from quitting so suddenly vanished completely, and he shook hands with his manager and Kiba before walking out with his back straight.

Sasuke, having grown impatient waiting for him in the car, stood outside the vehicle, heedless of his own shivering. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Naruto almost tripped stepping down from the curb and leaned against the car for a moment, soaking it in. Not everything was okay; there were so many things that were not alright that a list of the things that were would be shorter. But everything /_felt_/ alright in this moment, so he didn't bothering quelling his laughter as he slid in. "Yes! Everything's alright." The headrest had never been comfier. Through the slits of his nearly-closed eyes, he saw the worried look Sasuke was trying so hard to be discreet about. "Really, Sas, I'm just feeling very light right now. A lot of feeling all at once, so it's like… I dunno, it's just a good feeling. When we get home, I'm going to sleep. For real."

"Hn." Naruto was too happy to point out the inadequacy of the response; he just enjoyed the blank feeling of his mind.

There were silent the whole ride home and walking inside, though once there Naruto's sort of woke up. "Hey, where's Itachi? Isn't he always with you?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Stuff to do," he replied with a frown, settling himself at the table where he'd clearly been doing homework before. "So what happened? Do I get the story, or what?"

"Nothing much. Just an overload of caffeine, and then Kiba overreacted. Of course, when one person panics, everyone panics, as I'm sure you can imagine. One minute I was clocking in for work, the next people where calling emergency numbers and making accusations that my boss was overworking his employees."

"Well, that escalated quickly."

"Exactly. Yes, I was tired, but that's all there is to it," he lied firmly. "Anyway, I'm to grade some papers, then sleep, so goodnight."

"Wait!"

Naruto stopped in the doorway, startled by Sasuke's shout. "Yes?"

"Aren't you hungry?" The boy was standing, hands flat on the table. "You can't have had dinner already. Let me make you something."

Such a sweet kid. How could anyone have ever thought of hurting him? The earnest eyes were undaunted by Naruto shaking his head no. "You'll feel better with solid food in your stomach, won't you?"

"Not at this point. It's too unsettled now. I'll sleep it off and eat like a wolf in the morning." He took a step, then paused again and turned back. "Thank you, though. Make sure you get enough sleep, too."

"Yeah." Looking defeated and still a bit unsettled, he sunk back into his homework. Naruto stumbled down the hallway, dropping his bag the moment his bedroom door shut. Maybe he had asked the wrong question, he mused as he fell face first on his bed, too tired to bother changing into pajamas or getting under the covers. Maybe he should have asked Sasuke if his boyfriend—what was his name? Orochimaru—had been here. That's probably why Sasuke was being weird; Sasuke was probably just annoyed that he got pulled away from boyfriend time with Orochimaru…

Unaware of how wrong he was, sleep swallowed the blond easily.

888

Neji's search for his cousin Hinata was not entirely fruitless. Using his charm and the little influence his last name lent, he'd checked numerous colleges in the area. Hinata was a far more popular name than he had imagined, and since when Hinata struck out on her own, she took her mother's maiden name (it seemed like half of every school here had the surname Saitou) she was even harder to find. At first, he thought the first name that matched was her, but it wasn't until several girls later that he became reasonably sure that he found the Hinata Saitou he wanted. They'd exchanged a couple of emails, and though she proved insider knowledge of the Hyuuga family, he was suspicious that she did not want to meet but rather wanted him to call off his search. Unwilling to give up, he promised to stop looking if she'd meet with him just once. After a few days of no reply, she agreed to meet him.

She had chosen a public location, not too far from his college; quiet, but loud enough to mask conversation or to protect her should Neji turn out to be less than he had said of himself. Clever, he thought, clever and cautious. She seemed a bit skittish in the emails, so he made sure that he was late. She'd no doubt get there early to pick a good spot, one that would give her a chance to escape if she changed her mind or he turned out to be a psycho. Clever, but not clever enough.

He purposely arrived late. She would surely still be there, out of curiosity, and as he carefully inspected each face upon entry, he discovered he was right about everything. She was near the back, facing the entrance but only a few steps away from the emergency exit, and right next to a table full of loud giggly girls that, should Neji try anything less than chivalrous, would probably beat him to death in a gesture of misguided feminism.

When she saw him, she smiled in a way he'd never known she could. Hinata stood to greet him with a hug, brushing her asymmetrical hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. "How are you?" She spoke as softly as ever, though there was an assertiveness underlying it that would not be ignored. "I couldn't be too careful, I thought, but I'm glad that you really are my cousin."

He held her tight for a moment, relieved his search was over and delighted that she seemed to be doing so well. "In a way I'm glad you were so cautious. It's reassuring to know that you take care of yourself." He sat down opposite her as she resumed her seat. "You've changed so much."

"Yes. Getting away from father really gave me a chance to be my own person, and I would say that I've thrived." She sipped her coffee. "Not that it was easy. For a while I barely made rent, and then when it came to tuition and other school fees, there was no one to co-sign for loans. I almost gave up then. A few times, I nearly went back. But I'm so glad that I didn't."

"You could have come to us."

"And put my uncle in an awkward position? I couldn't do that to him."

'As thoughtful as ever. It's good she kept her best traits.' Neji leaned forward and rested his chin on top of his hands. "As much as I am glad that we've met, I have to admit there is a particular reason for my search."

"Ah. I didn't think that merely finding me could be the sole aim."

"It's not that we didn't want to find you." He shook his head, ponytail loosening with the force of his emotion. "It's not that at all. I asked father for years, and each time he said that we had to give you a chance to find your own way, and that he didn't want to be the one to drag you back into the family. But I never… whenever I went out, I looked. If we were at the bookstore or a coffee shop, I'd take a look at each face, just in case you might… it's not like it seemed that you wanted to be found anyway." He shook his head again, this time dismissively. "Well, we can talk about that later. That's not what I have to tell you."

Gently, he took hold of her hand. "Regardless of how things were between you both, I'm sure this will be hard to hear. Hinata, your father has passed away." The Hinata of his childhood would have fainted, and the one he'd met last would have broken down completely, but the woman before him hardly reacted at all. Not a muscle altered her calm, composed expression, nor did her eyes show anything other than a slight shock. Had not her hand tightly squeezed his own, Neji would have repeated himself, thinking she hadn't heard.

"I…" Hinata looked away a moment, allowing the longer side of hair to cover her face for a moment, then she coughed and faced her cousin again. "Somehow, I think I knew." She nodded slowly, and retracted her hand. "Yes, somehow, I knew it could only be this."

Quite at a loss, Neji just looked to where his hands were folded, resting on the table. She needed time to deal with the shock, no matter what she said, though it really didn't feel appropriate to give the comforting speech he'd been preparing on the way here. "It was a bit ago, and the funeral's already over, but if you don't mind… and I know in your emails you sounded like you just wanted to be left alone, and I know that this is a lot to deal with right now, but if you don't mind, come back with me to my house for a bit. Please," he said gently, as she clearly didn't want to be pushed in any which way, "please, even for just a little bit. Allow us to comfort you."

A shaky hand found her coffee cup, and she downed the whole thing suddenly. "I'll think about it. I agreed to meet you here, planning to say that I'm happy with my life and I just want to be left alone, but… I don't want to abandon my family." She paled slightly. "Hanabi… how is she?"

Neji winced, and that told her everything. "Alright. Just let me finish this." As she calmly ate the rest of her scone, Neji became aware of a familiar voice nearby. He couldn't quite place it, but a casual look over his shoulder showed him a face Sasuke had introduced to him recently; though it was a side glance of his profile, the man had such unusual golden eyes that he is difficult to mistake. Neji's natural instinct was to go greet the man, but given the situation with Hinata, he wasn't going to leave her alone for even a minute. But something else gave him pause. The other man at the table with—one of those 'maru names, Sessho? No, Orochi—with Orochimaru was facing Neji's direction, so he could see everything the strange man was doing, including holding both of Orochimaru's hands in his gloved ones.

Something about it seemed odd, but Neji couldn't argue with what he saw with his own eyes: Orochimaru, the man whom he had been under the impression that Sasuke was dating, was now publicly holding hands in a coffee shop with another man.

Yet Hinata was ready, and he couldn't very well have her wait while he dealt with the man apparently cheating on Neji's best friend. As he escorted her to his car, as she gracefully accepted the offer, having taken public transportation to coffee shop, Neji subtly took a picture, just managing to capture both of their faces. They settled in the car, and as he began driving, he felt an unusual urgency.

"Hinata, feel free to tell me no, but my friend just might be about to get into trouble and I just need to call him and give him a heads up. Do you mind?" She answered in the negative, and he located Sasuke's number in his cell phone. It rang twice till a groggy voice picked up.

"Hey. Did I wake you?"

"No, just studying. Haven't said anything aloud in hours." He yawned. "So what's up? How did your meeting go? I didn't get your text until this morning, but I was thinking about you. Crossed my fingers and everything."

"I can tell you about it later, but I need you to listen. You know I love you right?"

"Umm…"

"No, not like that. You know what I mean. Just, you know that I wouldn't say things that could hurt you unless I had to, right?"

"…Neji, where are you going with this?" Sasuke definitely didn't sound tired now.

"I could be wrong, and I took a photo just to be sure, but I think I saw your boyfriend at the coffee shop with another guy. They were holding hands, and sitting really close to one another, and I'm sure there's another possibly explanation, but I at least want to give you a chance to do… whatever it is you want to do."

A slight 'thud' on the other side, then silence.

"Sasuke? Are you there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. I'm… well, it might be something totally normal, right?" Neji felt like his heart was being squeezed. He couldn't watch Sasuke do this to himself again. "Itachi said he would be studying all day today, but I guess something could have come up…"

'Itachi? That's a weird nickname,' Neji thought, though tact reminded him this wasn't the time to mention it.

"WAIT!" Neji nearly slammed on the brakes. Hinata looked strangely at him, rising out of her stupor at the jerking motion of the car.

"What? You're going to make me crash!"

"When did you meet Itachi? I don't remember introducing him to you."

"Is… that time that you came over, for Toph's celebration dinner… was that guy not your boyfriend?"

"What? No. He was just dropping me off and he got pulled into the celebration. He didn't want to be rude so he just went along with it."

"So Orochimaru is /_not_/ your boyfriend?" He confirmed.

"No. The man I'm dating is called Itachi Uchiha." He sighed in relief. "I'm glad that was so easily resolved. He's not perfect, but if he says he stuck home all day studying, then I believe him. He wouldn't lie to me."

888

At the time that Itachi told Sasuke that he would be studying all day, it wasn't a lie. He hadn't known that an email from one of his former assistants was sitting in his inbox, inviting him to a café they had previously frequented. Had it been just about anyone else, he might have refused, but considering his longtime relationship with the sender, he decided to give it a chance.

And so Itachi was, in fact, in a coffee shop during the time of the conversation between Neji and Sasuke.

"Hello." He had to resist the instinct to smile; nice as it was to see his old friend, the email had come after a long time apart and the last he'd seen of her, she was at the law firm, still going along with his father's manipulations of the law. For all he knew, she'd gone and allied herself with Sai. His half-brother paid all his people well, and Nodoka had been rumored to have money problems. Recognizing the man with her as one of his peers from his time in medical school, and a none too friendly one at that, he sat in the empty seat across from his former assistant and friend. "You wanted to meet with me?"

"Hi!" She said with a steady smile. She looked the same as ever; quietly pretty, but it really only showed when she was happy like she apparently was now. "Yes. This is my husband, Jirou. On the way here he said he's known of you, back when he was in medical school." Nodoka sipped her coffee, elbowing the frowning man next to her. "Be nice, dear."

His frown deepened. "Hello." Jirou said sullenly. That was apparently the extent of his civil energies.

She ignored him, and at the slight glare Itachi noticed Jirou sending his way, he decided to ignore the other man as much as possible. "Don't mind him. He only recently found out that Fugaku-san wanted us to marry, and now he's grumpy. Order something, would you? We're paying, no arguments." The waitress arrived just on time, but if she hadn't Itachi intended to assert his part and pay-but one did not make a scene, especially about money, in front of other people. Just because he didn't have his father's finances to draw from didn't mean he couldn't afford a meal.

"I can pay for all this, you know. Surely I owe you." He said quietly once the waitress left to bring them their food.

Nodoka waved her hand at that. "Who owes who has nothing to do with it. I asked you to come here, so we're paying."

"Why did you? Ask me here, I mean."

"Hmmm." She fiddled with a sugar packet. "Well, the main reason is because I haven't seen you in forever, and I still think of you as a friend." Her hesitant smile was directed at him, though she continued to tease the edge of the paper. A few more tugs and the paper would rip and spill the sugar.

He had assumed that she would have a message from his father, some sort of demand that he return the car or that he convince his mother to submit to his tyrannical rule once more. A friend? Well, even she admitted there was more to it than that. But he couldn't help but be a little touched. "I hadn't heard from you in so long. After a while, I assumed your job was more important." Hiding emotions was an Uchiha thing, and Nodoka's best efforts were meager. A guilt-ridden frown deepened on her face, and her husband patted her arm lightly, glaring a bit once more at Itachi. "Don't feel guilty-you needed a job, I understand that. I just... I didn't know that you still cared." That was much clumsier than he'd anticipated. "I mean, we had fun in college, and then at work it was like you were the only sane one there, but then after I left I didn't ever hear from you, so I thought you'd outgrown me."

"We did have fun at university, didn't we? Sometimes I still think we should have conquered the world." She finally looked at him, reassured by his smidgen of a smile. The sugar packet was emptied into her steaming mug, and she grabbed another. "It would have been nice, yes, to simply ring you up whenever the paralegals started driving me crazy, or call you when one of the lawyers started hitting on me, but it wasn't so simple. Your father seemed to blame me personally for your leaving, not to mention you not marrying me and us all working within his domain. Then there was that little snot-sorry, I mean, there was Sai, who consistently asked where you were and what you were up to. On top of all that, I had just met Jirou," the man glanced up from the muffin he was eating with a gentle glance at his wife, paying attention for probably the first time since he'd greeted her friend, "and you moved several times anyway, didn't you? After the third or fourth new address and phone number didn't work, I had to assume that the little snot was accessing my information in order to get to you and that you were better off without any connection to the office at all."

"So you didn't hate me for leaving? For rejecting you?" It was stupid to be apprehensive about her answer, of course, but he couldn't help but wonder if he'd unintentionally caused pain to more than his mother. The few friends he had were precious, and he really was starting to understand that he shouldn't assume that he had acted in their best interests anymore.

The sugar spilt on the table this time. "No, you dumbass. You were like a little brother to me, and I only went along with 'dating' you because your mother was so sweet and I didn't want to disappoint her. I heard that Kisame finally admitted his crush to you though." She gave him a look. "You are oblivious to at odd times, but did you really not notice how he felt about you?"

Itachi cringed. "Not at all. Do you keep in touch with him still?"

"Not since the wedding, but then the other night he called and said that if I wanted to try being friends with you again, it could actually happen. I'm glad he called."

"Me, too." He smiled a little, the realization that he had truer friends than he thought warming his expression. "Why have you contacted me now? Was Sai really looking into your files?" He drew his phone from his pocket as he spoke, poised to call the Uzumaki residence. "If that's how he's been finding me, then he's probably been finding my newer friends through that address. I wouldn't put it past him to follow them home and harass them from there." It's happened before, he thought, and if Orochimaru following him that day was what he thought it was, than he owed that man more than another punch. "Do I need to call them? I can't ask them to move, but I could at least put them on their guard."

"You should be all right. All of you. Once Jirou proposed, I quit immediately. He's a doctor, and because he's the second son he has more freedom-as long as he's successful, anyway, and we're doing just fine. Actually," she paused to stir yet lump of sugar into her mug-surely more sugar than coffee by now- and patted her husband's hand, encouraging him to put his phone back down. "I was recently hired at a smaller firm, more focused on the community. Apparently, they saw that I'd been your assistant and decided to hire me on the spot. I'm reasonably certain that you're safe, at least as far as I can tell."

This was indeed reassuring, and other than an unsubtle bored sigh from her husband, now not-so-secretly playing a game on his cellular device, it seemed there was nothing to do but enjoy the time they had to catch up. "So what's happened with you? I followed you through a few moves, and last I heard you were planning on going back to school. Something fun, this time, I hope? I would've thought that the nightmares of law school and then med school had scarred you from ever reentering an institution of learning. Then again, your abilities always surpassed ours despite the age difference, so a little genius like you probably enjoyed every bit." She teased.

Itachi accepted the compliment, but inwardly he frowned. Yes, he had been very intelligent at a very young age, but it was no fun to be teased about it by one of the few people who generally understood the isolation it brought. "Well, I'm at a rather well-known art school right now. It's enjoyable, which was the whole point-doing something I wanted to do, with no regard for how it will impact my future or bring profits or advance my position." A pause, as he finally dug into the omelet. The heat had begun to leave it, and waiting any longer would reduce the temperature to that awful lukewarm. "Naturally, there's trouble there, too. I ran into an old high school…erm, acquaintance—Orochimaru, of all people, and nearly got kicked out. Fortunately, the professor understood and we have a mutual friend, so things have turned out quite alright."

Both Nodoka and Itachi were content to continue talking, but Jirou's pager beeped loudly. "Honey, they're calling me in."

"Yes, dear. Alright Itachi, we'll have to be going, then, though it was so nice to catch up with you. Please, don't lose touch again. And good luck with your boyfriend."

"Wait, he's got a boyfriend?" Jirou chuckled. "What was I worried for, then, if he's just a fag?"

The people at the surrounding tables went silent and looked at the trie while trying to look like they weren't looking at the trio. Nodoka had gone pale, and said to her husband with austerity, "Go warm up the car. I'll be out in a minute." They shared a brief look, and he left, grumbling under his breath. She turned to Itachi, sighing, and bowed low. "I apologize on behalf of my husband."

"It's all right." Itachi assured her. It wasn't like she had said it, and that certainly wasn't near the worst thing someone had said to him. He had merely been caught off guard.

"It's not all right. He's prejudiced about silly things, and sometimes he can be a real ass."

"Then, why…?"

"Because I love him." She said simply. "For better or worse, though I'm pretty sure I'm what makes him better. Everybody has their faults, it's just that his faults are loud and offend a lot of people. He really is good though, I promise."

They hugged briefly, and she paid at the register as they exited, parting with a promise to stay in touch.

888

Itachi's final went better than he had hoped, and so to celebrate, he drove over to the Uzumaki residence. As he rang the doorbell, he mused that if had done poorly (if such a thing could happen to begin with) then he would have come here to be comforted. Either way, when Sasuke opened the door wide, he took a deep breath to restrain himself from pulling the man close immediately and devouring his mouth.

"Itachi! How did your final go?" He ushered the older man into the house with a hug and Itachi removed his coat and gloves.

"Very well, I think. How's your studying?" They moved further into the house, and judging by the lack of noise, Naruto wasn't home yet.

"I'm about ready for a break." He smiled up at his boyfriend, half-sitting against the back of the couch as Itachi came forward. "So if you're here to distract me, I'd have to say that I wouldn't mind at all."

Itachi's hands were already on Sasuke, one on the back of his neck and the other at his hip, pulling him close. "Well, since you don't mind," and he kissed him. How long had it been? Too long, Itachi decided, and that was the last thing he had a chance to think about as the man in his arms took his breath away.

Sasuke was not quite having that problem. Since his sex drive had come back recently, he'd had to 'take care of business' the past couple mornings all on his own. Now that he finally had a bit of alone time with his boyfriend, the only question left was which actions would press Itachi's buttons.

The Nokia tune sang faintly from the other room. Itachi pulled back slightly, but Sasuke only let him get far enough away to say, "ignore it," before connecting their mouths again. Sucking on his tongue seemed to be doing the trick, as Itachi's hand drifted from hip to ass and alternately squeezed and caressed his butt. Sasuke decided to step it up a notch.

Sasuke's phone rang again, and this time Itachi actually got words out. "Are you sure—"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Now touch me." He blushed mightily as he said it, but Itachi didn't hesitate. The hand on his ass slid down the back of his thigh and lifted so Sasuke's leg was halfway wrapped around Itachi's hip.

Moving his hands from where they had been merely clinging to Itachi's shirt and slipped on up to feel his abdomen, untucking his shirt while the other hand undid the top buttons, glad Itachi had skipped wearing a tie today.

The half-moan definitely was a good sign, and Itachi started to lean Sasuke over the couch more. The younger man was prepared for this, and was positioned so that they would roll and he would fall on top. But life had other plans.

"Who ya gonna call?" asked Itachi's pocket.

All thoughts of that nature were abandoned at the sound of "Ghostbusters" playing loudly, emanating from Itachi's cell phone. Itachi sighed and pulled himself off Sasuke to pick up the phone.

"What's going on? Who is it?" Sasuke peered over his shoulder, surprised to see Naruto's name. He was a little miffed that Itachi hadn't even given his own boyfriend his number yet. "Hey, why don't I—"

"Sorry, Sasuke, he only calls if it's an emergency." The phone flipped open and answered with a small beep. "Uchiha." He listened for a bit, and after noting Sasuke's annoyance at being excluded from the conversation, Itachi shifted the phone to his other ear so that Sasuke could lean in and listen too.

"—and I know you're probably busy, but there's just not much else I can do. Gaara's with his step-siblings out looking, and of course Asuma's checking in with all his friends, but we can't find Haku anywhere. He used to be such a cute kid but now he's acting like a delinquent and I think it has to do with whatever happened at the foster house or maybe he's just at that rebellious phase. I wasn't that bad, you know, not too much of a nightmare, or at least that's what Kurenai told me—"

Smoothly, Itachi cut in. "Where are you now?"

"I'm with my buddy in the police department, but we're trying to avoid actually using the police force, because then Social Services will get involved and that will be a much larger mess than is necessary. So what I'm really asking is, if you aren't horribly tied up can you possibly help look for him? I'll text you a picture, but if you can get hold of Sasuke I'd grab him along because he might have a better idea about locating Haku. The dear child hasn't been picking up his cell, so call the house line if you want him."

"I'll head out right now."

"Gotcha. Keep me posted, good news or bad."

Itachi nodded and hung up. "I'm assuming you want to do this?"

"Of course." He wanted to see Haku again, but not like this. Why would Haku ditch school and disappear?

888

The search commenced.

The usually places were crowded and busy, but Haku wasn't in any of them. Kurenai said she received a call from the school that morning asking why Haku wasn't in class, and though hopeful that somehow he'd just been missed, Asuma had spent the rest of the day checking his usual hiding spots. Although the school reported Haku absent, it was unlikely anyone had performed a personal, thorough search, so Sasuke and Itachi dashed around the high school, checking all the classrooms and bathrooms thoroughly. Worry was mounting; concern was transforming into deep anxiety and heightened alarm.

"I can't tell if he's too old or too young to be causing this much trouble." Itachi reflected that his schooling experience was very, very different, but bringing that up now wouldn't help them find this boy and sooner. Uchiha really wished the kid would turn up, because there might still be a chance that he and Sasuke could carry on what they started before…

"He didn't really have a childhood, but he's older than he looks, so…. Well, I don't know. That doesn't mean anything." He rubbed at the back of his neck, worry tensing his muscles. "I'd heard he was having trouble recently, but I didn't think it'd be a disappearing act. Didn't think it'd happen so suddenly, either."

"What kind of trouble can he be in? From everything Naruto's said, he sounds like he should be a model child—intelligence, a good work ethic, all that."

"…I think it's my kind of trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"It sounds like he started behaving strangely after he spent a year in a foster home, but I think the problem right now is that he likes a guy."

"That isn't a problem."

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not that he likes a guy, it's that this guy is older and Haku was always pretty trusting." He shook his head. "Why do things have to be so complicated? Naruto may have been a bit of trouble back in middle school, and we used to fight back then too, but then he got a job and scholarships, he knew the nicest people in college—all the videogaming stuff we have were birthday and Christmas presents from his roommates back then. Even now, he got a job straight out of college. He's always on top of things and in control, and he's really responsible with money—what?"

"Nothing." Itachi hadn't meant to react out loud, but he couldn't help the sound that had come out and Sasuke clearly didn't buy the cough he tried to cover it with.

"I don't believe you."

"I… I shouldn't say anything. It's not my place." Itachi considered himself a terrific liar, though with a situation like this where he didn't want to withhold the truth, his abilities dried up.

"Does it have to do with Naruto?"

"Well, yes."

"Then it's my business. Tell me."

He smirked at the commanding tone, but acquiesced in his own way. If Sasuke guessed it, then it wasn't telling him. "Haven't you wondered where all the money goes?"

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto has two jobs, right? So even if the part-time paycheck is not very much, he still gets a teacher's salary, which no matter how you look at it does not account for money spent. He told me once that one of the sponsors of the home paid for his college education, covering anything that his scholarships and grants didn't, so it's not like there's college loans to worry about. I'm sure there are bills and car expenses, but even with whatever he's paying for the house, there should still be money left over."

Sasuke frowned and stopped walking altogether. "I follow you, but what makes you think he doesn't have enough money?"

"Really?" He could hardly help the way the word came out, but his incredulity was genuine. "Have you really not noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"Sasuke, last time I was at your house, there was absolutely no food in the fridge. By Naruto's own admission, he barely eats, barely sleeps, and wanted me to hide it from you so that you wouldn't worry. Have you really not seen it? His clothes are old, too. He keeps them clean but the newest thing I've seen him wear is at least three or four years old."

Sasuke was clearly resisting what Itachi was saying, but he was thinking it over. In annoyance at this whole topic and the idea that Naruto might be hiding things from him, he threw back, "not all of us have the means to worry so much about what we dress like," giving Itachi's dress shirt and slacks a look.

"It's not that I'm fussy about what I wear. This is all I've ever worn. This /_is_/ casual for me. I'm not wearing a tie or blazer."

He snickered at Itachi's distinction between dressy and casual. Though tempted to continue on that line, Sasuke had to admit that Itachi looked good dressed this way.

"Anyway, he's a teacher, and like it or not he is judged very much by his appearance. Even subconsciously. Plus, there should still be money for him to buy even a couple new shirts each year."

The silence between them grew, the disagreement and tinges of annoyance making it awkward.

"We should probably continue looking for your young friend now."

"Oh!" Sasuke speed-walked down the hallway, heading back to the entrance of the school. "I can't believe I forgot." His forehead crinkled as he tried to think of where else Haku might have gone. Worry didn't suit Sasuke, and Itachi figured he needed to try harder if they were going to find him soon. It had already grown dark outside; the stars twinkled at them as they walked back to the car. Itachi had been feeling triumphant after his final, and they'd missed dinner, so... hmmm.

"Hey, aren't you hungry?"

"Now really isn't the time for a food break."

"Actually, I was thinking that if I ditched school, I probably missed lunch in the cafeteria, and then if I know people are looking for me, there are only so many places I can go—most restaurants are out, and even if they hung out at his friend's house, sooner or later they'd get hungry. If they really are dating, or close to dating, I'm sure the man will want to get Haku whatever he wants, which means they'll have to go buy food."

"So either a grocery store or a convenience store." He smiled as they climbed into the car. "Then I think I know which one he's at."

888

"Is it really okay?" Haku asked, barely louder than a whisper. He hated to bring it up again, but Zabuza had mentioned it so easily before, and it really was a pretty serious decision.

"Yep." Zabuza exhaled, smoke drifting up to the night sky. It was so pretty, watching it dissipate until it dissipated into sky. "Keep the house clean, and have dinner ready by the time I'm done at work, it won't be a problem." He frowned as he looked at his near-empty cigarette pack, wiggling the one between his lips up and down. "Or you can go to school, whatever, so long as you spend your nights with me."

Haku blushed, his long hair and their distance from the storefront hiding his blush. Would they really… do that now? That's what people do when they move in together, right? He nudged Zabuza with his elbow, looking at the hand that held the cigarette. In an equally wordless fashion, the older man put the cigarette into Haku's mouth. The boy smiled faintly at the indirect kiss, inhaling deeply like Zabuza had taught him. He still felt kind of hungry, but he didn't want to ask Zabuza for money for another sandwich.

They sat in silence for a bit, watching as the sky darkened and the stars came out, and the people coming and leaving the convenience store, enjoying the slight chill of the bench. Time passed leisurely, and Haku began to think he could get used to this sort of pace.

Not many people frequented this convenience store, since for a convenience store, it was a bit inconvenient. Although most people were deterred by the back road necessary to get there, Haku and suggested it for that very reason. Years ago, Sasuke had taken him there, back when they used to visit Naruto at his college after school. Now… well, Naruto was a grown up and lectured him all the time, and Sasuke he hadn't seen in a while. He abandoned him, just like everybody else.

Zabuza reached over to take the cigarette back, taking the time to run his calloused fingers across the boy's lips. Instantly, a spark of arousal gave Haku a shiver, and he tapped Zabuza's retreating fingers with his tongue. Brown eyes widened momentarily, then narrowed as he grabbed Haku's collar and pulled him into a rough kiss, lifting him half onto his lap. Haku let him devour his mouth, enjoying the mingled taste of cigarette smoke. He used to hate the taste, and the smell brought nausea; but these forceful kisses overwhelmed him until he was accustomed to it.

Too soon, Zabuza pushed Haku back down onto the bench, eyeing him. There seemed to be a flash of disappointment, though Haku couldn't be sure. Whatever Zabuza was thinking, he clearly didn't want to share. The all-but-gone cigarette was given back to him, and Haku accepted it, afraid to ask Zabuza what was the matter, but equally afraid of knowing.

Taking a long drag, Haku resumed people-watching, trying to decide if he'd bother with homework, rather absently noticing that the man entering the store looked like Sasuke, though his hair was a bit longer than Sasuke kept his. Several minutes passed in silence before Zabuza attempted conversation again, suggesting they go back to Zabuza's house. Haku agreed and stood, finishing off the cigarette with a last breath. He happened to look up at the exact time the man he thought looked like Sasuke exited the store, but this time the light from inside shone on his face. Haku started coughing on the smoke as he realized he didn't just look like his frie—former friend, it /was/ his former friend.

If Haku hadn't been coughing loudly, he probably would've been passed by, hidden by the shadows and the slight distance the park benches had from the store. But Haku was coughing loudly, and the sound was enough to catch Sasuke's attention for just a moment, just a flick of his eyes in that direction—target acquired.

"Haku!" Relief was the dominating emotion, and despite the warm hug from Sasuke, Haku had a premonition that the feeling would change soon. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Are you all right? Have you eaten?" Stepping back, he looked Haku over, settling on the object in Haku's hand. Internally, Haku cringed.

"You've been smoking?" Haku didn't react at all, face blank as a painted mask. That only ticked Sasuke off more. "You're going to ruin your voice like that! What are you thinking?"

"Leave me alone!" He shouted, outraged that Sasuke of all people dared to lecture him about this. "This is nothing to what you've done!"

"You were supposed to learn from my bad choices, not try to one-up them!"

"And you weren't supposed to abandon me, you selfish dick!" The hurt look on Sasuke's face caused only a twinge of guilt, but mostly Haku felt good for saying what he'd been thinking. There was plenty more he wanted to say, too, but Zabuza never liked being ignored for long. Putting a hand on Haku's shoulder, he cut in.

"Stop bothering him. It's your fault he's stressed."

Sasuke turned on Zabuza then, undaunted by the height and clear muscle difference. "Stress can be fixed with sleep or food. Cancer can't, and if his voice is damaged, that won't help it, either." Giving the taller man a look like he was a lost cause, he turned to Haku, who'd been eyeing the man standing behind Sasuke mistrustfully. The man was hot in a classy way, but looked like a liar.

Haku loved Zabuza's deep chuckle that shook the man's chest, especially since Sasuke looked even more annoyed at the sound. "Maybe if you had said something sooner, like a year ago, but…" he shrugged. "You weren't there, and I was. Why should he listen to you?"

"Because I'm watching out for him so he doesn't make the same mistakes I did."

"Haku doesn't offer his ass to anyone with a cock, so that won't be a problem."

Sasuke swung his leg in a sweeping kick aimed right for Zabuza's head, though with reflexes surprisingly quick for a man his size, Zabuza blocked with his forearm. Both Haku and Itachi winced at the cracking sound.

Attacker and defender held position, trying to push the other off, until they mutually dropped. Sasuke tried another route by going for an uppercut, and the grin on Zabuza's face said he was going for a counterattack. Not quite thinking, Haku put himself between them. "STOP!"

He cracked open his eyes, not at all surprised that Sasuke's fist was bare inches from his face. Likewise, Zabuza's fist was right alongside his left rib, obviously redirected once Haku got in the way. "We don't have to do this."

Sasuke scowled, and the man next to him glared at Zabuza, but Sasuke backed down. He shook off the taller man's hand on his wrist, scowling. "I'm fine. And I've heard worse."

Mustering up his best face, he placed a hand on Zabuza's and looked him evenly in the eye. "Please. Let's just go."

"Back to my place?" Haku nodded, urging the man with squeezes of his hand. Zabuza studied the younger man for a few moments. "No."

"No…?" His heart beat uncomfortably faster. "Not with you?"

"You need to work things out with them." He gestured to Sasuke and the other man.

"I don't want to talk to Sasuke and I don't even know who that guy is!" He'd never yelled at Zabuza before, and he hadn't meant to. Perhaps vaguely shocked, Zabuza appeared more annoyed than anything else.

"I'm Itachi, a friend of Naruto's and—"

"I don't care!" Haku couldn't believe it. Was Zabuza abandoning him now, too? No. Zabuza was different. He was the only one who really cared. "Please."

"My offer is the same. I'm not leaving you, either." He grabbed Haku's chin, forcing the eye contact. "You get that?" He demanded, allowing Haku control enough to nod his head. "Good. Go with them for now. You have your phone?" Haku nodded again. "I'll call." With a smirk, he used his grip on Haku's jaw to pull him into an open-mouthed kiss, shamelessly devouring the boy's mouth without regard for the bystanders. He pulled back, wiping the traces of saliva from the corner of Haku's lip, and walked off with a wave. "See ya later, kid."

Haku watched him leave, feeling a bit abandoned all the same. "Haku…" Sasuke said, much more calmly than he would've expected. Haku turned, pushing his hair back behind his shoulder and reflexively folding his arms across his chest. "Let's go." Itachi started walking, and when it was clear that Sasuke didn't plan to turn his back on the boy, Haku walked between them, with Sasuke following.

He didn't react to the posh car or to Sasuke's conversation with Naruto informing him that Haku had been found. Haku ignored everything they said, allowing himself to be mesmerized by the glare the holidays lights made in the window as they drove past. He was sitting on Naruto's couch, sipping hot chocolate he didn't remember accepting, by the time he got around to waking his brain back up.

Sasuke stared at the young man, lost as to where to begin. Apparently, Haku had a lot more going on than he'd thought. He's with an older man who was a shameless bad influence and was smoking for who knows how long. That would probably mess up his health, since he'd been known to be on the sickly side, plus most sponsors of the Home automatically ignored smokers on principle. On top of that, he'd ruin his singing voice, though going by what Asuma said, Haku hadn't sung lately at all and was most likely skipping all his voice lessons.

He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to yell at you before, and I'm pretty sure I'm the last person you want to hear a lecture from, but please trust me. There's so much you have the opportunity to do, but the actions you've taken will ruin it."

The flat brown eyes looked at him, nodding slowly. "Yeah. You're not really someone I want to hear that from. Have you thought maybe I need to make my own mistakes? Besides, there's no reason to listen to you. You're just like everybody else. All they cared about was my voice." '_I hope my voice really does get ruined. Then they'd leave me alone._ The other man, Itachi, was sitting next to Sasuke on the sofa, though he didn't make any effort to interject into the conversation. He seemed the type to observe and analyze.

"I won't give you the 'you've been blessed with a gift, so work hard to share it with the world speech.' I know you've gotten it before. I had to listen whenever people came to the Home to talk to you; I could almost recite it myself. But right now, even if you don't want to train you voice, it's important to focus on school. It doesn't feel important doing worksheets and math problems and writing papers on stupid topics that nobody but your teacher will ever read, but it does matter. Later on they'll look at your high school grades, and if you do go to college, all these dumb assignments will have been good practice. So…"

"That's not all that bugs you though, right?" Haku's intuitive intelligence urged him to prod further. He put his untouched drink down on the coffee table, squeezing his thumb between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. "Oh. You don't like Zabuza, do you?"

"I generally don't like people who suggest that I am or have ever been a whore, so no, I don't like him. But it doesn't look like he's doing anything good for you either."

"He was there for me when no one else was."

Sasuke rubbed at the back of his leg, uncomfortable with the accusation. "I wasn't in any shape to be around anyone."

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'so?'"

"Never mind. It's too late for that." He waved it off. "Point is, there's no reason that I can't move in with Zabuza."

"Is that what was happening today? He asked you to move in with him?"

"Yeah. And I will."

"Isn't this all a bit fast?"

"Why wait? I'll move in with him, and then once we start sleeping together," he felt himself flush, though his face showed none of his discomfort and his tone remained flat, "I'll take care of the house and get a job so he won't have to pay for everything for me."

"I just get the feeling that you're rushing this. Living with someone is a much bigger step than it seems, plus you don't have the established intimacy of having slept together."

"That's not my fault! I want to, but he keeps putting it off…" his face visibly fell, and Sasuke wondered which landmine he'd stepped on.

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment. After all, there's nothing wrong with waiting. I mean, we haven't gone there yet, and we might not for a while. It could be years before—"

"Years?" he interjected incredulously.

A serious frown formed on his face, nearly uniting his eyebrows together. "Yeah. Is that a problem?" He folded his arms together, a sick feeling prodding at his stomach.

"Well I wasn't planning on tomorrow or next week, but I was thinking sometime within the next couple months. I mean, it's what people do when they love each other, right?" Sasuke's and Itachi's eyes met sharply at the word 'love.' With a vague sense of panic, Sasuke dragged the conversation in another direction.

"Are you saying that if I don't do it, I don't love you?"

"No, but it's the next logical step—"

"Oh, so now logic says we need to sleep together?"

"I'm not saying that either. What I'm saying is that I thought that sooner rather than later you'd want to. Or maybe you don't want to, and I've been wasting my time?" He ended with frustration. If he had known that Sasuke didn't want a physical relationship yet, he wouldn't have been so pushy about it. They could have gone to the movies or ice skating or something. He didn't know he'd been pushing the man in a direction he hadn't wanted to go. Just where did that place Itachi in comparison to Sasuke's previous men?

"Is that all you're after then? I'm a waste of time otherwise?"

"I mean wasting my efforts pulling you in that direction. You're getting too defensive and overanalyzing everything. Though it does make me wonder, what do you even like me for? Do you even like me the same way I like you?

"I just refuse to define our relationship by its physical aspects." Really, he knew that wasn't what Itachi was trying to say and certainly not what he thought, but he couldn't quite articulate what he was thinking. His teeth sank into his lip hard, relieving a minute amount of frustration and confusion.

They looked at each other, not quite fuming but thoroughly annoyed at what the other had said as much as the fact that this was their first argument and it had started because they were trying to help this brat, who still sat looking so sweetly at them. Yet it was also the child who broke the silence. "What if I tell him no… and he gets bored with me?"

That was the feeling he had, and it surprised him that the child was at the same place he was. They really should give the kid more credit, he supposed.

"If he leaves you because of that, he doesn't deserve you." Haku halfway glared at Itachi. "I know it sounds lame, but it's true. Though it sounds like maybe he actually waiting for you and doesn't want to pressure you, rather than getting bored with you. You might just want to talk to him about it."

Haku nodded, not quite agreeing, though not exactly disagreeing.

"And for you, Sasuke, of course, I'm eager." Thinking back on what Kisame had said, he kept going. "I want you that way, but I thought I'd already made clear that there are many different ways I want you. Really, I just want to spend more time with you, even just hanging out."

Sasuke smiled. "Really? A lot of different ways? Different… positions?" he teased.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean." He smiled back. "Sorry."

"Me, too." They embraced with a soft kiss. They let it grow deeper, each trying to make up for the hurtful things they'd said but hadn't meant; they didn't get much time. Haku interrupted with a cough.

"Not to interrupt… well, yes, actually, that's what I'm trying to do. But…"

"Yes?" Sasuke questioned, stepping back from Itachi but not letting go of his hand.

"I think they're here." All the blood left Haku's face as the key turned in the lock. Sasuke dropped Itachi's hand to stand near Haku, resting a hand on his shoulder for comfort. The boy was giving him such a pathetic look that all his protective instincts reignited.

Asuma burst in stormily, looking equal parts angry and worried. Just past the doorway he stopped and stared at Haku, who, feeling his guardian's presence, tensed, throat tightening and mouth going dry. Naruto was right behind him, though he had to squish against the hallway to get past him. "Hey, Haku." The blond was overly calm, though it balanced out the intensity Asuma was projecting. "Asuma, do you want some coffee? I can take your coat."

"No need. I won't be here long." He stepped a bit closer, gaze flickering up to Sasuke and sparing a glance at Itachi. "Thank you for finding him."

Sasuke answered the unspoken question. "The convenience store. The one down by the old cemetery."

"I see." Clearly having difficulty reigning in his anger, he spoke haltingly to the young man all but shaking on the couch. "Haku, it's good that you are safe. We'll have to talk about your behavior later. For now, go get in the car."

Haku looked up, finally looking at his guardian's face, mouth moving slightly, like he wanted to say something. However, Asuma missed it, as he was thanking Naruto for helping with the search. Sasuke couldn't focus on anything else at the moment except for the boy on the couch, fidgeting with his hands. This might be the moment to make up for not being there for his young friend all this time.

"What if," Sasuke had to clear his throat, and Haku looked up at him, pleading with his eyes. Well, now he /_really_/ hoped Asuma would agree to this. "What if Haku stayed with us for a bit?"

His former guardian frowned deeply. "Sleepovers are reserved as rewards. I'm not about to reward him for his actions today."

"Some time apart will give everyone a chance to cool their heads."

That he was the target of that comment did not pass Asuma by. "If I allow it this time, I'll never hear the end of it from the other kids. Or from Kurenai. We have to keep strict rules at the Home. That's how we maintain our reputation, and that's what gets us sponsors. Haku messed up, so he needs to accept his punishment."

"I'm not arguing against punishment, I just mean…" he felt Itachi step closer to him, and wished he had better skill with words. "It helped me. Our situations are different, I know, but being here helped."

The stony expression on Asuma's face didn't change as he contemplated in silence, and all three males in the living room subconsciously held their breaths. Apparently oblivious to the tense atmosphere was Naruto, moving from the kitchen to the hallway and back again, returning with a set of pajamas from Sasuke's room. "There will be a little long for you, Haku, but you can roll up the bottoms."

"I didn't say yes."

"But you didn't say no. If you were going to refuse, you would have said it immediately."

Asuma frowned at him as well, fondness half-hidden beneath the downturned eyebrows. "The trouble I had with you was that you paid more attention than anyone would give you credit for."

"I know," the blond said with a smile. "And before too long, I'm sure that you'll see Haku's kind of trouble in a different light, too."

They shared a look, confidence and urging on Naruto's side and doubt and acquiescence on Asuma's. "Fine, then. Haku," he said sharply, and the boy nearly jumped. "If you give them any trouble, of any sort, I will personally put transfer you. I can't have you setting this kind of example for the other kids." Gaze dropping down and curling in on himself, he nodded solemnly. "Sasuke and…"

"Itachi," said Itachi.

"Yes. Thank you for your help. I'll contact you soon," he told the blond, looking rather relieved, considering all his arguing against Haku staying. His farewell was punctuated by the door shutting, and Haku gave Sasuke a very sudden and very quick hug before grabbing the pajamas Naruto had draped over the chair and running to the spare room.

In the silence he left, Naruto sat down on the couch wearily. "Man, and I thought I was a handful."

"He was with a guy."

"What was he like?"

"He called Sasuke a whore and tried to hit him."

"What?" The blond looked ready to attack on his friend's behalf.

Sasuke shot a glare at Itachi. "To be fair, I tried to hit him first, but he blocked me and then Haku jumped in the way."

Naruto gave a humorless chuckle. "Good to know those martial arts lessons are getting so much use lately."

"Indeed." Itachi sounded very unpleased by the necessity for their use, Sasuke couldn't help but notice. "Will it really be okay, having this boy here?"

"Yeah, sure." Waving off the concern, Naruto broached the more sensitive part of the topic. "This boyfriend, though. Tell me more about him. What's he like?"

"Brash. Rough, but I don't think it's intentional." Sasuke shrugged. "I'd like to give him another shot, partly for Haku's sake, but also because as much as I don't like him, I feel like I'm missing something. He convinced Haku to go with us."

"I don't like it either, but you're right. He only went after Sasuke when the kid starting freaking out."

"Then I suppose I could at least meet him." He interrupted himself with a yawn. "Well, I'm off to remake the test for next week."

"Hold on just a moment." Itachi stood and pulled Naruto into the kitchen, taking the thermometer out of the drawer and sitting him on the nearest barstool.

"How do you even know where we keep that?" The blond scowled as his temperature and pulse were measured.

"I know everything," Itachi said absently as he checked Naruto's throat. "This might be the first time I've ever said this, but you should procrastinate your work. Unless it's an absolute emergency, you should just put off your work. Sasuke mentioned that you fainted the other day," Naruto tried to glare at Sasuke, but Itachi was checking his pupils and wouldn't let him. "And you may feel better right now, but you need to sleep more, eat better, and find even an hour or so of downtime. If you carry on like this much longer, your body will shut itself down again." He put a hand on Naruto shoulder and looked him full in the eye. "Next time, it will be worse."

Warm blue eyes stared back at him evenly. "I'll go to sleep right now, then, I promise. I'll eat vegetables tomorrow and everything." Itachi nodded, satisfied. He let Naruto get off the barstool, missing the glimpse of guilt the blond let slip.

"Then it's time for me to leave." Itachi got his few things together. "I'll stop by after my finals, if that's okay, but for now I need to study." Sasuke gave him a shy wave.

"Study hard!" Naruto called as he slowly walked down the hallway, yawning with exaggeration. The moment the door shut behind Itachi, however, he came right back into the living room, laptop in his arms. "I'll only work on it a little bit."

Sasuke bit his lip, not sure if he should say anything. Naruto knew what he was thinking anyway. "I know. I fainted earlier this week, and I'm being really unhealthy on top of that. But I've handled worse, so for now, just trust me."

It was hard to trust him, though, when he knew for sure now that Naruto not only could deceive when he wanted to, as he had lied so purely to Itachi. There was also the thought that Itachi had started—where the money really was going. The numbers didn't really add up, and he couldn't help think there really was something else going on. He hadn't the faintest clue what it could be, and that made him hesitate. Naruto didn't have a drinking problem or a drug problem, so maybe there were just some bills or car expenses Naruto just hadn't had a chance to tell him about yet. Surely, that was it. And really, after so many years of friendship, Sasuke just had to trust him. Naruto had fulfilled the only childhood promise that had mattered between the two orphans, a pact they'd made with blood. Naruto had adopted him despite all difficulties; he owed Naruto his trust.

"Okay. I trust you." Taking into account Naruto's need for physical assurance, he patted the blond on his shoulder on his way to bed. "Just please, don't stay up too late. Good night, Naruto."

"Only an hour. I promise." Naruto lied, believing it with all his might until the boy left the room. "Good night, Sasuke." He waited until the bedroom door was closed, and then he waited another ten minutes after that to be sure Sasuke wasn't coming back out. He opened his browser and checked his email, sighing as he read the only one that mattered. 'This will have to be the last payment,' he thought as he made an electronic funds transfer to his private investigator's account. 'Even if this is as close as I can get to mine or Sasuke's birth parents, this will be it.' Listening carefully to the sounds of Haku stirring in the guest room, he reopened the documents he needed for teaching tomorrow.

Preparing himself for another sleepless night, rubbed at his temples. He just had to keep it together for a few more days. Stress and weariness and hunger meant nothing as long as he did what he needed to do. Regarding the downtime Itachi insisted on... well, there was something Naruto liked to do to relax, and if he was reading the signals right, Itachi was definitely willing to help.

888

as always, let me know what you think, and feel free to drop a message, even if it's completely unrelated to the story.

also: I've become addicted to 'You're my Loveprize in Viewfinder / Finder Series.' if you're looking for a holiday addiction that isn't food, this is probably for you.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto had left for work earlier than usual, and though Sasuke normally wouldn't notice, the blond woke him up to remind him to keep an ear out for Haku to make sure he didn't sneak out during the day.

Studying for hours and hours in his room was starting to make Sasuke's head feel woozy with the overload of information, so he figured he should take a break, maybe check on Haku. When he'd arrived home from work, Naruto had brought in a grilled cheese sandwich, though for all they knew, the boy hadn't eaten it, just like he hadn't eaten breakfast. With a sense that he didn't quite know Haku anymore, he gently knocked on the door across from his own room.

"…"

"Haku, I'm coming in." The door had no lock and thus offered no resistance. Sasuke looked to the bed where he assumed Haku was, and he could see the faint outline of his body beneath the top blanket. "It's so dark in here. Let's open the blinds some." Still no response from the boy, not even a flinch at the influx of sunlight. Even with proper illumination, it felt dark and musty.

"You should eat something." The tray on which Naruto had placed the grilled cheese and glass of water was sitting on the desk, completely untouched. "It's not much," Sasuke involuntarily paused, realizing it wasn't very much, and it took him a bit to remind himself that he had decided to trust Naruto, no matter what he was hiding. "Even if you don't like the taste, you'll get sick without anything in your belly."

The blinds clicked and clacked, swinging at the sides of the window from their disturbance.

"Come on, don't just stare at the wall," Sasuke tried. He laid down next to Haku, propped up against the headboard, eyes focusing on the blinds still swishing slightly. A blinking light caught his eye, and he noticed that Haku's cell phone, which was placed on the nightstand on Sasuke's side, displayed numerous unread texts, the most recent one from 'Z,' presumably Zabuza.

"You missed a text," Sasuke said into the silence. "From Zabuza, I think." The boy next to him flinched, but did not turn to face the bed's other occupant. Sasuke's eyes returned to the window before him; the blinds had settled and were still. "Are you still tired? Naruto said you could skip school today."

Still nothing.

"I can't tell if you're mad at me, or at Asuma, or Naruto, or just everyone. For all I know, you might just not feel like talking. And that's fine. Because there are some things I need to say, maybe should have said earlier." Half out of habit, his hand drifted over to rest on Haku's head and slowly stroked his hair. "Yesterday, you said that I abandoned you and have no right to say anything about what you're doing now. And I'm not ignoring that we have different situations, it's just that I'm… afraid that something bad will happen to you. Something awful. I don't know this guy you're with. You probably think you know him, think that he could never hurt you, but truth is, it doesn't work that nicely all the time… it's just not that easy to tell if someone's bad or good."

He explained himself Haku, not omitting a single detail, hoping that something would get through to the boy. Not even halfway through, Haku shifted so that his head was on Sasuke's stomach. He didn't comment on it or pause, just slowly brushed his hands through the boy's hair.

"That sucks," Haku said when it was over. "But you're wrong about Zabuza. He's just bad at meeting people. He doesn't ever talk to me like that."

Sasuke bit his lip. Maybe he could ease Haku into the idea of a chaperoned meeting with Zabuza; he certainly wasn't going to let them possibly run off together. "Even if he is a good guy, please be careful. You're kind of mature for your age, but you're still pretty young, plus we're at a disadvantage. Naruto's been successful, but he's never screwed up like I have. Obnoxious, maybe, but I've made mistakes that almost messed up everything. It took so much more work to get done with high school and into college than it would have if I'd been more careful and less trusting." He scratched his head, a passing thought about a shower slipping by. "Not to close you off to the world, but if I can stop you from getting hurt or screwing up like I did… I just care about you. And I've missed you, though my actions past couple years don't really show it."

"I don't always agree with you, but I missed you, too. It started to feel like… like we'd never be able to sit like this again." He turned his face more into the older man's stomach, muffling his words. "I'm so tired of people leaving me."

"Yeah." What had kept Sasuke from feeling overwhelmed by the loneliness was Naruto, for as long as he could remember. Trying to pull Haku away from the dark pit he was standing on the edge of, he said, "Naruto has some Disney movies I can dig out, if you want. We can go watch them on the couch."

"Maybe later. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Worried?"

Haku nodded, causing Sasuke's shirt to wrinkle up.

"It'll be okay. We'll work everything out."

"What if you got to know him better?" Haku stubbornly persisted. Sasuke couldn't really say anything for a moment. It hadn't really occurred to him that Haku would be so cooperative. "I'm sure you'd like him," the boy added sweetly, looking at Sasuke.

Considerably incredulous, Sasuke said, "he called me a whore yesterday."

"He thought he was defending me."

"Of all the things to say… did you tell him I slept around?"

Haku stuck his face back into Sasuke's stomach and mumbled, "I vented to him once or twice, and I might've exaggerated some stuff…"

There wasn't much Sasuke could say about that. He'd done the same thing before as well, but never about people like Naruto or Haku, never about someone he considered family…

Realizing he needed to be the adult in this situation, he took a deep, slow breath, then let it out. "If he can apologize, I can try to give him a chance." He stood. "You should eat it. Naruto made it just for you."

The boy made a noncommittal noise, then rose and walked over to the desk. He poked the sandwich a couple times; whatever he was trying to determine seemed good enough for him as he pulled the tray to the bed and ate slowly.

"I'll let you alone, then, if you want to sleep?" Haku nodded, gulping down the water as well. "Alright. I'll wake you up for dinner?" He nodded again, and Sasuke shut the door behind him softly.

He neared the end of the hallway and saw Naruto and Itachi sitting close together, Naruto leaning forward with a hand on Itachi's shoulder, going in for a kiss. Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. Itachi was having no such problems as, cheeks bright pink, he put both hands on the blond's chest and pushed him back at arm's length, confusion on both their faces.

Sasuke's eyes were fixed on Itachi's face, watching the skin tighten around his eyes, his shifting away from Naruto. Neither man had noticed Sasuke yet. Sasuke finally settled on giving a general, all-encompassing 'what the hell;' but at this point Itachi spoke.

"I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry, but you've misunderstood." He shook his head back and forth slowly, searching for words to put this delicately. "I'm dating Sasuke. We've kept it quiet, though I guess too quiet. I never meant to—to lead you on or anything…" While Sasuke was too busy watching Itachi handle the awkward situation and waiting to be noticed, Itachi did not miss the way the blond's face seemed to crack underneath, just for a moment, before his expression turned blank. Uchiha, unsure how to comfort without going too far, placed a hand lightly on the blond's hand resting on the couch cushion between them. Naruto moved his hand away before they could touch, rubbing at the base of his neck.

"I know Sasuke didn't want to say anything yet—I think it has to do with his hallucinations, and if I'm not mistaken, those happen when he's experiencing anxiety over our relationship, and it really will just take time for him to trust me, which is fine, I can wait cause it'll be worth it, though it's not exactly helping that my half-brother has his little helper Orochimaru hanging around—"

"Wait, wait," Naruto interrupted, overwhelmed, one hand in the air to stop Itachi and the other on his head, which was feeling tighter every moment. "I thought the boyfriend Sasuke kept talking about was Orochimaru."

"What?" said two voices in unison. Itachi immediately looked over at Sasuke, but the younger only looked at Naruto now.

"What are you talking about? What made you think he would be my boyfriend?"

"Wait… you've met him? He's been here?" Itachi asked Naruto. He saw the affirmation in the blond's eyes and immediately turned on Sasuke, rising from the couch. "What happened to your promise? I didn't expect you to go back on it." It was harder to tell if his disappointment or his anger was stronger.

"Well, I didn't expect you to leave so suddenly, or that I'd end up stuck without a ride, and I didn't expect him to offer me a ride home or to be a pleasant, caring guy, and I never expected that Kiba would bring me to a party where I would get beat up, or that he, *Orochimaru,* would help me get away AND stand by me afterwards."

"He probably only helped because he didn't want you to suspect him, so then he could go back to his plan of reporting to Sai—"

"But he didn't look like he even meant to help me at first—like he was surprised that it was me, or something. And then the next day when that weirdo from the bus showed up, Orochimaru hurried me on the bus and sent me away like he was protecting me."

'Weirdo from the bus? With Orochimaru so close, I'd bet anything that was Sai.' Anger and a sense of betrayal fogged his reason. "You could have at least *tried* to avoid him instead of waiting until I left to make plans to befriend him. I can't believe you would keep this a secret from me."

The initial anger from when Sasuke first entered the room had abated in the face of his confusion but now it flared once more. "I didn't plan it; we just sort of ended up friends." Not the best defense, he knew, but true; Itachi would surely understand if he knew that Sasuke hadn't tried to keep it a secret. "I tried to tell you several times, like when you first got back and on the way to the art class and on the way back and while we were looking for Haku and before I had to write that paper—we just kept getting sidetracked."

Itachi was silent for a moment, and it seemed like his disappointment won out. "It sounds like you trust him much more than you trust me." He folded his arms across his chest. "I would have thought you'd know better, especially when he tried to follow you home that one time and you started panicking—"

"That's not what I'm saying! Besides, I don't think it was him—"

"So now you're defending him? I can't let you do this! You don't know what he's really like," Itachi insisted earnestly, gesturing widely in his frustration. "I won't let you see him again—"

"You won't *let* me?" Sasuke raised his voice and felt the tips of his ears go hot. "I'll hang out with whoever the hell I want to. I've had more than one controlling boyfriend, and I'd sooner die than put up with another—"

"Stop." Naruto had been sitting on the couch with his hands folded in his lap, watching the two go back and forth as he put aside his mortification and hurt, vindicating all those little moments these past weeks that now made sense. Yet now he stood and utilized his teacher voice before this point slid by him. "Sasuke, stay silent for a moment." The boy frowned, ready to argue, but relented when he realized how little emotion there was in the blond's face. "Itachi, explain what you mean about Orochimaru, and Sai, and what it has to do with you two."

"It's a long story—"

"You have sixty seconds. Go."

"My half-brother Sai and I have never gotten along. Since I left the law firm and he took over my old position, he's teamed up with Orochimaru, who I went to high school with. He betrayed me at that time and joined forces with Sai back then, and they get their kicks by intimidating people I'm interested in," he paused for a breath, noting the miniscule twitch in Naruto's expression, "but I told Sasuke this—really—before I even kissed him for the first time, and I think that was probably the second time we'd met, so it wasn't like he was getting bothered, and Sasuke said that he was fine with it—" Sasuke supported the claim by nodding silently— "and it's never been anything serious, just a few threatening letters or an occasional phone call, and then just childish pranks like throwing eggs at your house or unraveling toilet paper in your front yard, because anything more serious than that and I'd be able to take him to court, though I think technically I could already bring him in but it just isn't that easy to prove it's him, and it'll be too expensive to pull him in every time so…" he trailed off, not sure what else he should say to convince Naruto that things weren't as bad as they sounded.

"So, you're saying Orochimaru tried to follow Sasuke home so that he and your half-brother could stalk and harass my son."

Wisely, neither man reminded Naruto that he was not actually Sasuke's father.

"I thought I had protected Sasuke from that, though it seems like that didn't work out as well as I thought." He glanced at Sasuke; the younger man held his ground, firm in his belief that he had committed no wrong.

"That's enough." Naruto motioned for Itachi to be quiet and Uchiha felt compelled to obey, as the blond was still unconsciously using his commanding teacher's tone. "Sasuke, I'm not sure if it's worse that you didn't tell me who you were dating—considering he was in our house practically every day—or that you never told me about the potential threat." He paused, looked to the side, then looked at Sasuke again. "Actually, I'm very sure it's the second one."

His pale eyebrows pulled together until they practically met, and Sasuke felt a bit hopeful that Naruto would simply yell at him and be done. "After all you've been through, and I've been by your side, sticking with you, always giving you space and taking care of you—before I even moved out of the Home…" the blond rubbed the back of his neck, sitting down heavily. "You know, one of my earliest memories is of you crying in a corner, when you were first brought there, and you shoved and kicked everyone that tried to hold you, except for me, and then the next day you played with the other kids like you'd known them for forever, and you completely ignored me for years." He tried to continue, but the words stalled and he covered his mouth for a moment. "There were a couple rough patches, and I really thought I might never get you back. But then you started talking to me again, and you moved here, I thought you'd never keep secrets like this from me."

And there it was. An upset Naruto was quiet, but strong, and an angry Naruto was difficult, but bearable; this version, this disappointed, weary Naruto made Sasuke feel ashamed of himself. He hadn't known that story, couldn't remember anything that far back, but it seemed he'd been a terrible friend to the blond their entire lives. "After Juugo, I thought you decided to just tell me everything, no matter how small, so that I could help you."

It seemed like a thousand apologies would not set it right. They'd been best friends for too long for Sasuke to miss the hurt pulsing in Naruto's words, to miss the unspoken 'aren't we closer than this?' After listening to Naruto, the truth seemed weak, but it was all he could say. "I just didn't want to burden you. I thought you probably had enough going on already, what with two jobs, not eating or sleeping, and then the other day you even passed out..."

Naruto sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. "Look, we'll talk more later, but right now I think we all need to cool off. Everything I want to say right now I'd regret immediately. Let's all come back in two hours. How does that sound?"

Sasuke wanted to protest, because he did not feel resolved in the slightest with Itachi and he had no idea how to begin making this up to Naruto, but he had to admit that when he looked at Itachi, the words ready to spill out to the older man were not what he really wanted to say. Itachi, judging by the way his jaw was clenching and unclenching, felt the same. "Good. I'm going to get some beer, so Sasuke, I can drop you off wherever."

"Thanks." He replied, putting his phone back in his pocket. "I just texted Orochimaru, and he said he can drop me back off later." He gave a significant look at Itachi, who did not seem ready to take Sasuke's choice with any particular grace.

"I don't think he's the best choice, given whatever is or isn't happening," the blond said over his shoulder as he put on his coat and boots, "but you are free to choose, and no one will tell you otherwise."

Whatever Itachi's misgivings about Orochimaru, he was resolute against fighting Naruto. He didn't say another word as he grabbed his coat and slipped into his shoes. They all walked out the door together—staying as far apart from each other as they could within the narrow doorway—and got into their respective cars, and for a moment before Sasuke sat down into the seat he locked eyes with Itachi. The older man looked like he wanted to say something, but then apparently thought better of it as he quickly drove off.

"Just tell me where to go." Glad that Naruto obviously didn't want him to say anything else, he used as few words as possible. Orochimaru opened the front door to let him in, and he waved to the blond as the car creaked its way onto the main road once more.

"Thanks. You're kind of doing me a huge favor. I haven't ever had an argument with him like this before, and I everybody else I know is just too close to the situation."

"It's not a problem. You want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly.

"Not yet." He shook his head. "I need to get my mind out for a while."

"Okay." He nodded. "Grab a spot on the couch. My stepdad just called to say he won't be home till late, so there's his half of dinner if you want it."

888

In another part of town, Naruto's suspicions were confirmed as a white SUV followed him as he made another unnecessary turn. The vehicle first started tailing him a few miles back, fortunately after he'd dropped off Sasuke. If whoever was following was the same person as in the mall and the guy who'd made awkward eye contact with him when he fainted at his job, then he wanted to know who and why. His students wouldn't be old enough or have the right resources, and he couldn't think of any parents or coworkers that would benefit from stalking him.

For now, the mission was to find out what the man tailing him wanted; if he was indeed related to whatever trouble Itachi had connected with him, depending on how bad it was, he might have to pull a favor from his college buddy that had joined the police force. However, if this had anything to do with the people from Sasuke's or his own past, knocking a few teeth loose would be the easiest solution. Hoping for the best case scenario—the one where he could smack some people around to blow off steam—he parked in the lot for a grocery store and entered. It wasn't his usual one, but that didn't mean he was unknown here; fact was, half the employees he'd gone to high school with, and the other half he'd encountered in college. If it came down to a fight, they'd back him or turn a blind eye accordingly. As a bonus, this store had notoriously lousy security and unreliable cameras.

Discreetly checking in the reflective surfaces he passed, Naruto recognized his shadow as both the man from the mall and the individual who he'd encountered earlier this week. Not that he'd gotten much information then, but as long as he got what he needed now, it wouldn't matter. The pressure in his head increased, and he admitted to himself that it actually might just be pain.

Now was not the time to be soft as a ball sack, he chided himself. He headed to the pharmaceutical aisle where there would be fewer shoppers, asking the passing employee (Yukina? Hanako? She'd been in his graduating class) to keep the section clear for a couple minutes. The mysterious man followed, and as Naruto had hoped, the aisle was empty—even better, the whole section. Darting down the row and back around, he snuck up behind the man and pinned his arm up behind his back. Naruto kept the man still with another hand on his hip drawing them together, the man's back against Naruto chest, not allowing his captive time to struggle. The man's heavy coat disguised the position, so that anyone passing by them would think they were merely standing too close together.

"Hello." Naruto said. "I wouldn't struggle too much, if I were you, because that would bring attention to us—I don't mind, attention whore that I am—you seem like you'd mind very much." Even through the padding of the coat he could feel the stiffness of the man's body, breathing the only movement the man made through tense muscles. "Glad you agree. So what I'd like to know is who you are, who you're with, and what you want."

"I'll start with who you are." He tugged down the scarf and slipped the sunglasses off the unresisting man, and was surprised at how easy it was to identify the man. "I see. So you're Itachi's half-brother."

"How do you know?" Eyes blacker than anything Naruto had ever seen didn't even look at him; they just stared straight ahead, scanning the labels of various cold medications. "Japanese probably all look the same to you, blondie."

"That could be part of it, cause, you know, I'm a judgmental racist bastard, or maybe it's those cheekbones." Not that he'd ever studied Itachi's face enough to have noticed this. Nope. Never. There was absolutely nothing attractive about Itachi's cheekbones. "That, and you clearly know who I'm talking about."

"I dislike playing games. I'll get to the point." He turned in Naruto's grasp, and the blond released his grip on him, though he didn't change their distance just in case the man tried to retreat prematurely. "I am Sai Uchiha. My associate Orochimaru, when he's not screwing up, aids me every now and then." A thin smiled stretched his face, and in this lighting, it almost made his white skin look translucent. "I believe you've met him."

"I have." A pause on both sides. "And? What do you want?"

An unusual twist appeared in the brunet's face, and Naruto gladly recognized disappointment at this lack of reaction. Sai had obviously been hoping that Naruto would be stung by betrayal. It wasn't nice to know that the man currently with Sasuke could possibly be a threat, but one step at a time. Confirmation first. "My goal is simple: cause Itachi as much pain as I can." Again, he assessed Naruto's reaction, yet, again, he was disappointed.

"How do I factor into this?"

"You? You're the man my brother is pursuing. That guy doesn't deserve to have anyone by his side."

"I teach middle school kids—there's nothing you can do to scare me." Maybe he wasn't so crazy, thinking Itachi could like him. Sai apparently believes it, and Orochimaru had said something—but surely Orochimaru knew it wasn't true, so that's still a little weird—but Sai seems a few fries short of a happy meal, so this wasn't the best measure of Naruto's sanity. "Also, I have friends in the police department who owe me a few favors."

"Oh, yes. So I've heard." The thin smile had a nasty edge to it now. "I've had a week to look into you, since Orochimaru realized you were Itachi's true target, and it sounds like many people owe you favors because you did favors for them during your school days." Again, a pause, only this time Naruto couldn't help neither the narrowing of his eyebrows nor the twitch of fingers as they ached to curl into a fist and make Sai bleed.

"Or would it be more accurate to say perform?" Sensing he had an advantage, Sai pushed it. "Then again, who's to say it's in the past? A slut like you surely wouldn't be satisfied with just my brother. If you need someone who can actually satisfy you, I wouldn't mind paying—what's your price these days, thirty? Twenty? I have a few coins in my pocket, that should cover the full course—"

Naruto did not let him finish. With a dexterity acquired young, he distracted the man with an aggressive kiss while checking his pockets for his wallet. Upon locating it, he pulled back. He thumbed through it undisturbed, as Sai apparently needed a moment to catch up. There was just under three hundred in the wallet along with several shiny cards for credit and memberships. Guys like these never carried much cash. "Since it was just a kiss, I'll give you a discount." The cash he slipped into his own pocket, and dumbly Sai accepted his wallet back. "I'd feel bad charging my full price for a kid like you."

The man sputtered, clearly baffled, though only the muscles surrounding his eyes showed any such emotion existed. He'd never met a person like Naruto before.

"Oh, hush now. You look like a fish." He chuckled, wondering if he should smack Sai around a bit, too; he had apparently spooked Sasuke a bit, and Naruto used to beat people up for less. But if this guy wasn't going to fight back, it wouldn't be any fun. "So listen. I'll let it slide this time since you didn't know any better, but from now on you have no excuse. Whatever problem you have with Itachi stays between you and Itachi. You're involving innocent people in your messed up idea of revenge, including Sasuke and I. I'm not even the one Itachi's after, and I have enough problems without you dragging in my son."

"Son?" Sai echoed, finally coming out of his daze. "Oh yes, the boy you adopted. So he was Itachi's true target after all?"

Naruto grabbed him by both shoulders and slammed him into the shelf, knocking down a few rows of cold medicine. "If you do anything else to him… if you so much as look at him in a way I don't like… well, you say you looked into me. I'm sure you'll read between the lines. You know when something's been covered up."

Squirming slightly, dislodging bottles of cough syrup, Sai's half-assed attempt to break away failed. "What's wrong with you?" Sai's vacant expression finally shifted, giving into frustration and confusion.

"What's wrong with me?" Naruto echoed incredulously. "Well, plenty, but I'll beat the shit out of you if you come near us again. I've sent people to the hospital before, and I don't care how powerful your family is. You mess with Sasuke again, and I'll crush you." What didn't this simpleton understand?

An involuntary shiver at the sharp tone almost made him wary of asking more. "You'd still go to jail, idiot! What's wrong with you that you'd risk so much for someone who isn't even family?!"

"So that's it." The blond had been around enough children to know this pattern. With a better handle on the situation, Naruto took a couple steps back, but Sai remained slumped against the shelves. "He never told you he loved you, so you've spent your life trying to get his attention?"

The man said nothing and didn't move. His outfit was wrinkled and the stance looked uncomfortable, but the man just stared at the ground, the previous flickers of confusion and frustration carefully erased from his face.

A horrible thought occurred to Naruto, and he felt a sting of pity. "None of them ever…" the blond's voice dropped and trailed off. Even in the orphanage, he'd felt loved. Not much, and not always, but Sasuke was there, even when their friends were adopted or left for foster homes. "Have you tried being nice to him?"

Sai stood and looked fiercely at Naruto, blank expression shattering into wrath. "I don't expect you to understand." He brushed himself off. "Someone like you…" Unable to continue the thought, he turned and walked away. "Keep the pocket change. Consider it my holiday donation to the poor," he called over his shoulder.

Naruto peeked around the corner to watch him leave the store, then went to the nearest employee. As he'd expected, the girl was one of his juniors in high school, and a minute of small talk smoothed over her annoyance at the mess he'd made. After he helped her clean up the mess he'd made, he grabbed a twelve pack of beer along with enough food to last them a week. There was still much money left over from what he'd taken from Sai, so he filled up his car with gas. Carrying around that much cash still was strange, but he figured the rest could help the kids at the Home when they went Christmas shopping for each other.

Regardless of its mechanical shortcomings, his car was a safe place, and he stopped to think. This business with Sasuke and Itachi… that would hurt for a while. The last time he'd felt so stupid was during his final time staying at a "friend's" dorm. It was obvious now, but he'd really liked Itachi, in a way he hadn't liked anyone for so long.

The blond rubbed his stomach, annoyed at the pain beginning to grow.

But maybe he was mothering Sasuke to much, and apparently the only bad thing that had happened to Sasuke occurred when Itachi /wasn't/ around, and was unrelated to him anyway. The hallucinations… that was a whole issue by itself, serious enough that Sasuke should see a doctor no matter how much he protested. Then again, with all the trauma and emotional scarring, it made sense if the shock wore off after all this time. It could be part of the natural healing process. No matter what, Sasuke needed to get checked out. Naruto could freely admit he wasn't an expert when it came to mental health; if his best friend needed therapy sessions or medication or nothing at all, they should at least talk to a doctor about it. He cringed at the idea of telling this to Sasuke. Hopefully he wouldn't be terribly obtuse about it.

The whole thing was kind of Naruto's fault, anyway. Sure, Sasuke generally was more observant and shouldn't have been so caught off guard by the marks of Naruto's stress, but the blond knew he should have covered it better. He'd apologize for that in the family meeting, and come clean about the private investigator. The man hadn't found much, and waiting until Christmas to give Sasuke such disappointing news sounded silly now.

It would be nice to clear the air between the three of them, and what better way than with good food and strong beer?

Upon entering, he noticed an empty plate on the counter that hadn't been there before—and would have smacked himself in the head had his arms not been full of food. He had forgotten about Haku, and left him here all alone. He paused, holding his breath; if Haku took the opportunity to sneak out… and hearing shuffling sounds in the spare room, the blond resumed breathing. If the boy had run away again, it would have been completely Naruto's fault.

He put the groceries away in the fridge, pausing as he looked in and it was weird that it was weird to see it with food in it again. He marveled once more that Sasuke truly hadn't noticed their financial situation wasn't well. Then again, Naruto had completely missed that Sasuke and Itachi were together, so maybe it wasn't so strange after all.

As he turned, intent on cleaning the house up a bit, a sudden pain, like a claw digging into his abdomen, overwhelmed him. Both hands immediately went to the pain, pushing against it like that would help. His knees buckled; he slammed an elbow down on the counter to anchor himself. Through clenched teeth he tried not to cry out as the clawing pain seemed to twist, then suddenly released. In between gasping breaths, his eyes began to blur, and he quickly sat down, leaning back against the dishwasher, confusion setting in. He didn't feel like he was going to pass out, but he felt humiliated at the sting of tears in his eyes.

Another pain deep inside his chest throbbed, but it didn't feel anything like what had hit him moments before. He rubbed his eyes, trying not to cry at the intensity of the feeling. He took a deep breath and held it; listening for a minute showed no other sounds in the kitchen or living room. Assured he was alone, he hugged his knees into himself and let the tears fall, body shaking silently with each shuddering gasp. The betrayal—doubly so, and neither intended—by his best friend cutting open that last raw part of him.

A slight creak from the guest room reached his ears, and at once Naruto cut the feeling off. He took a deep breath as he mentally shut that door tight and slipped the deadbolt into place. Exhaling, he stood and wiped his face off, splashing it with ice water from the kitchen sink and putting a dishtowel to his face. Footsteps approached, slowly, hesitatingly down the hallway towards him. Keeping the towel to his face for an extra moment of composure and to give Haku a chance to run away, he was surprised when the footsteps moved further into the kitchen.

"Hey, kiddo. Did you sleep well?"

The boy didn't look any better than yesterday, but he looked to the side, then nodded. Clothing rumpled, hair a mess, and shadows under his eyes, he looked liked he needed a cleanup. And maybe some food, too.

"Are you hungry?"

Haku shook his head, eyes flicking up from the floor at Naruto, holding for a few seconds at a time. At least the boy was trying to be a man and meet his eye, even if he wouldn't vocalize.

"Thirsty?" Naruto tried. It was obvious that Haku wanted /something/.

Haku nodded, tucking his hair behind his ear and tugging at the ends idly.

"Sorry it's so cold in here. Usually I like it much warmer. Can't stand the cold. I had to turn the heat down a bit so I'll get you something hot. I can't have you getting sick." He turned around to fix tea, running a hand on his face to check that nothing unusual showed in his expression. If he remembered right, Haku had favored the oolong varieties. In his search, he missed the frown edging onto Haku's mouth. "There's no point in being sick around the holidays," Naruto went on, "There's no school to call out of, there's delicious food and free time and presents." He handed the boy the mug, enjoying how a layer of tension slipped off Haku's face as he sipped it.

"You haven't bathed yet, right? How about you go get in the bath. Take all the time you want, cause it'll be at least an hour before dinner, and after that we'll play videogames or something. All right?" Haku nodded slowly, like he was receiving the words after a five-second lag.

Once Naruto heard the bathwater running, he marched himself back into the kitchen. Dinner would take some time in the oven, so better get it in now. He wiped his eyes again, just to make sure he was in control of himself again. With determination, he set his thoughts on what he should get for Haku this Christmas. It seems the boy was much less enthusiastic about singing since he'd come back from foster care, and he'd apparently been having a rough time lately; the blond distracted his hands with food preparation and his mind with thoughts of what would best cheer up the young man.

888

"Itachi!" Mikoto embraced her son. Despite the spontaneity of the visit, her face showed only happiness. "Come in!" Her thin fingers tugged on his arm and pulled him through the door. Inside the living room sat several women, all looking rather seriously at him. They didn't look it now, but he had been sure he'd heard laughing before he'd rung the doorbell…

"Itachi, this is my book club. Ladies, my son Itachi." The way there were staring at him made him wonder if he should bow or something; he didn't recognize any of them, so it was possible that Mikoto had met them all after he'd left his father's firm—or it was entirely possible that they were under the impression that he was dead. Mikoto hung up his coat for him, shaking off the snow, and making the appropriate excuses. "We've been out of touch for quite some time, and I seem to have double-booked this evening. Please, continue without me for a bit."

As they responded with 'of course, dear,' and 'take all the time you need, darling,' Mikoto led her son by a hand on at his elbow to her cozy kitchen, swinging door muffling the sounds.

"I'm sorry to stop by unannounced, mother," Itachi apologized. Mikoto had been laughing with her book club just moments ago, and here he was, getting in the way of her happiness.

"Don't be silly, dear." It was obvious her son was troubled by something. Had he really expected to be turned away? Maybe it had happened years ago, but she was better now. "Tell me what's bothering you. My book club can go on without me." She ushered her son to the table with a sweep of her hand and forced a couple of her cookies on him, adjusting her low ponytail as she sat next to him, manicured nails interlocking in front of her and her eyes focused entirely on him.

Itachi tried not to cringe at the overly sweet taste, missing her slight smile as she caught it anyway. His appetites were still the same, it seemed. "What's wrong, Itachi?"

"Well," he tried, not sure where to begin. It wasn't exactly first instinct to come to his mother, but his choices were few choices when it came to relationship issues. "My boyfriend promised me that he would stay away from this man that I know is bad, but he became friends with this man anyway."

"What's wrong with this man? Is he Chasing Naruto? Are you going to have to fight for him?"

"What?" Son of a bitch. Did /everyone/ think he and Naruto were dating? "No, mother. My boyfriend's name is Sasuke. Naruto and I are friends, that's all."

"Oh." She looked halfway guilty for a moment. "The question is the same, though. What's wrong with this man that Sasuke shouldn't be near him?"

"This man is untrustworthy and two-faced."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know."

His mother looked like she was struggling to keep her composure, and took a quick bite of cookie. She swallowed but kept the back of her hand covering her mouth. "Yes, dear, but /how/ do you know? Specifically?"

"I used to know him back in high school. I thought he was my friend, but he betrayed me."

Mikoto couldn't hold back her chuckle this time. "Dear, that was high school. Are you still the same person you were then?"

He had to think for a moment. Not really, but… "That's not really fair. I was younger than he was, than everybody was. He was supposed to be more mature than me and someone that I could trust, but he betrayed me."

"Honestly, I think you should give him a second chance. People change, and high school especially is a difficult time. So many young people in such a small environment, along with puberty and peer pressure—an advanced school like yours had even more pressure." Her son looked down at the table, lips twisting slightly to the side.

"It wasn't just then. I'm pretty sure that even now, he's involved with Sai." Itachi's eyes darted back up to his mother's face, watching carefully for any sign of discomfort at the mention of that name.

She remained calm, taking a slightly deeper breath. "Even if you're positive you know what's going on, you need to talk to the man face to face. Don't judge him as if he's the same person he was years ago. You certainly aren't." They were silent for a moment, both knowing that Itachi had no intention to follow her advice. "This wouldn't happen to be the same boy who used to visit you after school, would it?"

"You… remember?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, I…" her cheeks colored slightly as she continued. "I wasn't entirely… myself… then, but I remember you brought over a boy almost every day for a couple months. He had such unusual eyes." Her own eyes slipped past the reality before her. She continued slowly, almost dreamily, "then you were upset, and your grades fell… but then I saw him in the house, talking to …Sai." She said the name like she was trying to get stale milk out of her mouth. She came back quickly. "You're bothered by more than that, though."

"Yes." Glad to get away from that subject, he posed a question of his own. "Even if this man isn't terrible, what do I do about my boyfriend? Sasuke promised to stay away from him."

"Are you upset that he broke his promise or are you jealous of their friendship?"

On the one hand, yes. How could Sasuke so easily become friends with someone like that? Though Sasuke had tried to say something about being thrown together by circumstances. But still, he should have found some way to stay true to his word… "Sasuke said he wouldn't, and he did anyway. Even if the man is chasing after him, I know Sasuke wouldn't cheat."

"Then what are you worried about? The man may be bad, and you've warned your boyfriend. His judgment may not be flawless, but if this man is truly bad, he will come to see for himself. You can request to be present when they are together, but if he says no, there is nothing you can do. You have to let your partner make his own choices. Watch out for him, but understand that you can't make his decisions for him. You just can't; he's an adult." She paused, hand frozen in the air on the way to her coffee cup. "He /is/ and adult, right?"

"Of course, mother!" He tried not to sound offended, but she chuckled, and he chuckled too as he realized she was kidding him.

She stood up and took his hand, staring down into his eyes. "You are my intelligent, strong, beautiful son, but sometimes you act like you know everything. Talk to him about it—both of them—and /listen/ to them, too."

He nodded, thinking it over; but she seemed like she had something else to say. "What is it?"

Unable to meet his eyes, she said, "Given everything that's happened, I can't help but wonder why you came to _me_ for help."

His heart skipped a beat at the guilt clear on her face. Taking his hand out of hers he embraced her. "Regardless of what's in the past, you're still my mother." She hugged him back tightly, and for a moment, Itachi felt four years old again.

She kissed the top of his head and pulled away. "Sort it out with him now, but make sure you come visit again soon—we'll have to coordinate holiday plans. Bring your boyfriend, too. I'd love to meet him."

"I will." He smiled and felt his lip crack again a little. "Thank you, mother."

She led the way back through the living room, where conversation ceased immediately. One of the silver-haired ladies spoke up. "Did you have a good chat, dear?"

"Yes. Thank you for being so patient with me." She handed Itachi his coat and he departed with a wave.

"It was nice meeting you all. Thank you again, mother. Have a good night."

He climbed into his car and set his course for the Uzumaki residence, driving slowly as snow began to fall. He'd have to think over whether to talk or not with Orochimaru later, but at least for tonight he knew that his mother was right. His years as a lawyer taught him how to speak, but he apparently still needed to learn how to listen.

888

"Has anyone ever told you that you have stunning eyes?" Sasuke asked. It was true, at times, that Orochimaru had a very creepy stare, but his eyes were enchanting in a weird sort of way.

Orochimaru laughed. "Every now and then, yes, but I do love hearing it." He inched back from Sasuke a little on the couch, leaning into the armrest more. "Careful, now. I might start thinking you're coming on to me."

All amusement fled Sasuke's face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" Was this how Itachi had felt earlier? This unpleasant mix of embarrassment, guilt, and pity.

"Relax. I'm just joking."

"Oh." Sasuke flushed, pushing his hair out of his eyes to give his hands something to do. "Right." They weren't close enough friends for silence to feel comfortable, and Sasuke fell back on politeness to push through the awkward quiet. "Thanks for letting me come over on such short notice."

"Not at all." Orochimaru waved it away. "Most nights it's too quiet here. I'll hang out with some of my classmates, but I don't feel particularly close to them. I work retail, but that's just part-time, and I don't really like my coworkers that much, either." He brushed a hand through his hair, frowning at the increased frizziness. "I feel like at this point in my life I'm supposed to have it all together, but I still can't do much. I have some talent in art, or I wouldn't have gotten into the university, but I've reached my plateau." He gestured, making a horizontal line through the air with his hand. "There isn't anything I particularly want to do, and there isn't anything I'm particularly good at, either."

And Sasuke had thought the silence was awkward. Orochimaru picked up on it. "Sorry, I tend to ramble after dinner." He glanced at the clock. "We should get going soon."

"Alright. Can I use your bathroom really quick?"

"Down the hall, on the left."

Sasuke nodded. He remembered from last time, but the house felt different with the last bits straggling bits of daylight poking through the windows. He did his business, a slight unease returning as he washed his hands. Procrastinating his way back down the hallway, he casually looked at the pictures on the wall. There were gaps—some of an extremely young Orochimaru, probably around age three, then a sudden jump to thirteen or so, which seemed to be about when he started to grow his hair longer.

The last photo on the end was the most recent; Orochimaru was mid-laugh, at the beach, side-by-side with another man, whose arm was around his shoulders. The other man was laughing, too, but his eyes weren't, and his orange hair was unmistakable. They were plenty of people with that shade in this city, but the face was one that haunted his nightmares.

"Are you ready to go?" Orochimaru appeared cheerily around the corner, making Sasuke jump a foot in the air. "Sasuke? What's the matter?"

"You." Sasuke choked out, surprised and supremely pissed off. "You know Juugo?"

The older man's eyes narrowed. "How do you know him?" Orochimaru asked right back, as if there were only one person in the world with that name.

"My ex." Advancing, he was pleased that Orochimaru was intimidated enough by his angry expression to take a few steps back. "He's the one who carved into my leg. I know you saw the scars. Don't act like you didn't!"

"Please, calm down," he held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I admit it, I saw them, but I had hoped they were from something else…"

Sasuke advanced another step. "And you did something! You said something! For all I know, you sent Juugo after me in the first place!" he was breathing rapidly and he knew he made no sense but it was just too much of a coincidence that Orochimaru had a photo with the man who'd hurt him and then suddenly show up in his life a few months later and Orochimaru was nearby during all of his hallucinations… it was just too much!

"I would never do that! He hurt me in the first place!" He turned his leg and adjusted the bottom of his shorts up a bit, showing near identical markings on his own leg. "Do you think I'd really do this to myself? Or want anyone else to be hurt like this?"

"Yes! No. I don't know!" He shook his head. "I came here to clear my mind, not get more confused."

"I tried to distance myself from you once I saw that, and your…" he made a vague gesture. "Your aversion to people, whatever you want to call it—after the party it occurred to me that maybe you had a similar experience with him, but then I couldn't undo what I'd done—"

"What does that mean?"

A hesitation, and slivers of guilt. "Sai asked me for a favor."

Sasuke groaned. "No. I told them you were good. Please tell me you didn't."

"He just asked if Itachi was pursuing anyone in the class. I didn't know what he'd do with the information, and honestly, at that point in time, I didn't care. It was the first time I'd heard from him in years and it'd been so long since he sounded alive like that—"

"So that made it okay?"

"It didn't! But I got to know you better, and I put together what he was trying to do—had apparently /been/ doing to Itachi's partners, but now—"

"What's he doing on your wall?" Whatever Sai was up to could wait. He still wasn't accepting the idea that both he and Orochimaru just so happened to have been hurt in the same way by the same person, and then to come together like this… coincidences like this didn't really happen. "If he hurt you so badly, what's he doing on your wall?!"

"My stepdad doesn't know what happened." His voice was so calm and so small that Sasuke couldn't bring himself to yell back. "He thinks it was mutual breakup. And how am I supposed to tell him?" he snapped. "How am I supposed to tell my big, tough stepdad that I'm not just gay and unemployed but that I also got cut up and beaten by a guy younger and smaller than me?" His eyes were shiny. "How could I even…" he broke off and bit his lip viciously.

Sasuke couldn't help it; he just had to hug the man. He didn't hug him back and he didn't let the tears fall, he just stood there stiffly and let himself be held. "I'm sorry. This whole situation is just so messed up." Sasuke spoke barely above a whisper, still blown away by the revelation. This unexpected parallel turned his thinking that perhaps this was fate, but of a different sort.

"No kidding." It wasn't quite a chuckle, but it was close. "I should get you back now; you have stuff to take care of." He slipped out of the hug and went to the counter for his keys.

"Right now? If you want to talk about it…"

"Not really. I can block it out. It just came up so suddenly..." he let his hair swish in front of his face as he slowly put on his gloves. He paused as he wiggled his fingers in that last little bit. "Maybe later… I still need some time, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad… it's not like there's really been anyone to talk to."

Both men's heads snapped simultaneously to the door at the sound of the aggressive knock, breaking the brief warmth of the feeling of kinship. Sasuke looked curiously at Orochimaru, wondering why he wasn't moving to open it. But the man looked right back at him. He whispered, "I've got a bad feeling about this." He waved Sasuke to duck into the hallway where he would be out of sight. He stopped right before the door and whispered over his shoulder, "If it's Sai, stay out of sight until he leaves. He's unpredictable, and I can't tell if he'd actually try to hurt you. No matter what, he's pretty much guaranteed to be unpleasant. I'll get him away quickly, then I'll take you home." He smiled reassuringly, though doubt made it more of a grimace. "It's going to be fine."

Then he opened the door.

Sai stumbled in like a drunken man, pushing past Orochimaru and going straight to the couch.

"What's… how are you?"

"How do you think I am?" Sai retorted. "I've never been humiliated like that. Only Itachi has ever…" he trailed off, frowning. "How could he be so arrogant?!" Sai demanded of Orochimaru, who looked at him blankly, edging over to block the hallway in case his newest houseguest decided he needed something down that way. "That stupid blond." He turned violently toward Orochimaru. "You told me it was the blond. Did you lie, or are you just so stupid that you got even this simple thing wrong?" The humorless smile dominated his expression. "Do you take me for an idiot? Or did you not realize that you were actually right the first time, and Itachi was trying to get the younger guy?"

Sai started, no longer looking but finally seeing the man whose house he had invaded; Sai's eyes traveled up and down Orochimaru's person, noting his coat, shoes, and keys in hand. "You were getting ready to leave."

"Well, yes. Just quickly—"

"You don't want me here." Sai looked dejected, gaze falling glumly to the floor.

The actual emotion on the younger man's face jolted Orochimaru. "It's just an errand, and then I can come back."

"No. It's fine." His face resumed its usual impassivity. "There's other people I can talk to. I'll just go to…" The silence grew painful after, though a whole sixty seconds passed, Sai couldn't finish the sentence. Sai's ears burned and his cheeks grew hot as he stared at the nothing in front of him desperately.

Orochimaru waved Sasuke further down the hallway with the hand behind his back, hoping Sasuke would catch on to hide in one of the rooms and then after Sai left, meet him outside through the back door. Misinterpreting completely, Sasuke looked for the nearest escape route. Sai seemed unpredictable and somewhat volatile, if the outbursts were anything to go by. His proximity to the wall meant that as he went to turn around, his face was right next to Juugo's. His breath caught in his throat and his hand flew to the base of his throat. He reminded himself to breathe, that he just needed to stay calm.

There was no sign that Sai was going to hurt him at all. He just needed to put that from his mind. This was nothing to get upset about, no reason to overreact, just calm down cause there's no danger and it's all in your head.

There was a shadow at the end of the hall. It moved when he moved, so while the first half-second he saw it he wanted to scream, he realized it must be his own shadow.

Except it wasn't. It wasn't Orochimaru's, either, because it was taller and bulkier than him, too.

No.

No no no no no. Not here.

But of course here. Juugo's picture was here. Why wouldn't the monster himself be here, too?

At that dark end of the hallway, the man seemed to light up, bit by bit. First his hair grew more vibrant and then unmistakably orange, then the artfully ripped jeans, then the leather jacket—torn at the elbows, Sasuke's brain told him, because of the barbed wire when he'd escaped from prison, and the bloody cut on his cheek, just above the empty smile.

"No." Sasuke whispered. It wasn't disbelief this time. He didn't believe that Juugo was here; but the negation was against his own self. Whether Juugo was here or just in Sasuke's head didn't matter. He wasn't going to back down.

He took a step forward, idly noting that the talking in the other room didn't escalate beyond the normal speaking volumes. Sai was saying, "The blond was different. I've never met someone like that before. Plenty of people have challenged me, but this guy… saw right through me. And I feel… like something isn't right." There was a slight thump as he hit his hand on his chest. "It feels wrong in here."

Sasuke took another step, visualizing the best attack method just in case this Juugo was real. He smelled real—like cigarettes and soil.

"A lot of people feel that way, Sai." Orochimaru sounded like he was talking to a young child, but in a sense, Sai was still at that stage. "It could be guilt, anger, jealousy, heartbreak, confusion, loneliness… it could a lot of things. That's why friends matter."

"I don't have friends." There was absolute silence, yet Sasuke dared to take another three steps. Two feet until the door, and three feet beyond that stood Juugo with his bloody face and smirk ever-growing.

"I thought that's what you were, but I the pain doesn't feel any different whether you're with me or not." Another step, and Sasuke could hear Juugo's low breathing. "And you betrayed me. You lied to me." His voice rose in volume again. "Everybody lies to me and I don't know why!"

Last steps taken and Sasuke's hand is on the door, but it isn't enough to just escape. He has to know. He reaches his hand forward, ready to curl into a fist, and puts his hand just over Juugo's heart, not touching, a sudden fear that the man really is there paralyzes his muscles.

"I don't know what I did wrong!" Sai continued shouting, Orochimaru still speechless at the unprecedented emotional outburst. "And Itachi gets everything? After all this time, you're still more loyal to him!"

Sasuke slowly let out his breath and pushed his hand forward, either he mastered his fear or he beat Juugo, no matter what he wasn't backing down this time—one moment Juugo was smirking at him and the next Sasuke was simply holding his hand against a wall. Smiling a little, he tuned back into the conversation in the other room, aware enough by now to realize how angry Sai sounded. Figuring he'd conquered enough fears for now, he decided to forgo a confrontation with Itachi's half-brother and slipped out the side-door and through the washroom.

He closed the door softly behind him, so as not to be noticed. The conversation continued without an audience; "I don't even care anymore. Itachi can do whatever he wants. I'm done with him. I'm through wasting my time on a guy who doesn't give two shits about me."

Sasuke set off into the winter night, grateful that he at least had his shoes on. His sweater was nowhere near warm enough, though, and the snowing drifting down upon him only looked gentle; the little flakes caused instantaneous goose pimples. He jogged down another backyard before moving to the front and walking on the sidewalk, hoping he was far enough away from Orochimaru's house that he couldn't be seen from the windows nor particularly noticeable should Sai suddenly leave.

A glance at the street sign affirmed what he already knew; he wasn't that far from home, and could definitely walk back under twenty minutes. The cold was unfortunate, but it really wasn't /_that_/ bad… well, maybe it was. Hitchhiking wasn't generally a good idea, but if he could bum a short ride it wouldn't be too terrible—yet here he had to acknowledge that there was neither sight nor sound of cars nearby, not even a snowplow, and not a single bus had passed him by. He crossed his arms, stuck his chilled fingers in his armpits, and quickened his pace, counting on the motion to warm him up.


	7. Chapter 7

Where did the summer go? Ah, it was horrible I moved and have been struggling to get a job and now that I have one I have no life and also my step-mother like the worst person ever she makes me feel guilty for doing human stuff like eating and sleeping and I think I'm going crazy for real and I miss my friends too much it's really lonely so much fun.

As always, enjoy the chapter.

CHAPTER 7

Itachi sat on the couch, contemplating that this was probably the most awkward silence he'd ever endured, compounded by the fact that Naruto had never been so silent before. The blond made plenty of noise as he moved around the kitchen fixing dinner, but he'd barely said a word after handing Itachi an unasked-for bottle of beer.

The sounds coming from the bathroom—which for one moment he'd foolishly believed to be Sasuke—could only be Haku. He'd forgotten completely about the boy. Sasuke and Naruto seemed to think he was a good kid despite whatever trouble he'd gotten into, but Itachi wasn't so sure. The boy clearly didn't know how to choose the people he associated himself with. There was no call to insult Sasuke. Was this boy that stupid that he'd hang out with a low-life—

Here he stopped himself. Mom had a point—Haku was only in high school. He hadn't lived enough to make good decisions—kid wasn't properly a man yet. Itachi couldn't think of him as more than a boy. The kid was what, fifteen? sixteen? And from what Sasuke had said, it seemed like they'd received pretty limited guidance at the Home. Understandable, naturally, though… well, Itachi himself had received typed-and-printed memos from his father as soon as he'd learned how to read. Surely Haku had had some good influences in his life, but… well, if Itachi could help at all, then he needed to.

He polished off his beer, glancing at Naruto in the kitchen. The blond looked like he was trying to look busy, though evidently he was nervous. Whether because he was more or less alone with Itachi or because he hadn't decided what to say to them yet, he couldn't tell, but at the very least Naruto appear angry anymore. The hurt look on his face was probably from fighting with Sasuke. From what Itachi had heard from both sides individually, they've had tense moments and disagreements, but this seemed like the biggest problem they've had with the other. Which made Itachi feel pretty shitty, considering he more or less came between their friendship.

Itachi was still awkwardly tracing patterns on his bottle when Naruto spoke. "I'm sorry." The blond wouldn't look at him, gaze determinedly focused on the steaming red mug in his hand. "It was rude of me to try to kiss you like that. Even if you'd been single and regardless of if you'd wanted it or not, it's rude to just attack somebody like that." He aimed the full force of his blues at Itachi; apologetic and maybe a bit humiliated still, but altogether unyielding. "I know I should wait till Sasuke gets back and I'll apologize again when he gets here, but I'm bad at waiting."

"There's nothing to forgive. I didn't mean to lead you on—"

"Don't do that." He shook his head vehemently. Itachi taking the blame made it so much more humiliating. It was his own stupid fault; if anybody deserved to be happy, it was Sasuke, not someone like himself, and Itachi's a really great guy. Sasuke is a much better match for him. "It's not like I've never been rejected before. I'll apologize when Sasuke gets back, and then we'll pretend it never happened. I get the feeling you're going to be here pretty often, and it'll be awkward to have to remember about it."

Not sure what he should say—Naruto didn't want apologies, and obviously he couldn't argue that he'd be here sometimes—so rather than uncomfortable silence, he fell back on the old failsafe. "It's snowing quite a bit out there."

Naruto agreed. "Maybe we'll get a snow day tomorrow."

"It wasn't sticking to the road. Only a few inches, if that."

Naruto pouted and wondered if Itachi was a Debbie Downer on purpose. His hand froze in the air, mug still clutched in his fingers, halfway from the cabinet to the counter. "Where is Sasuke? He's late." Abandoning the mug, he went to the table and retrieved his phone. "He hasn't called you, has he?"

Itachi shook his head. Sasuke hadn't ever, as yet, called him.

"Well, I might as well—oh!" The Star Wars theme burst forth from the phone in his hand. "Hello?"

Itachi absentmindedly started peeling the wrapper from his bottle. "Yeah. I'll let you know." He hung up and ran for his shoes and coat and keys. "That was Orochimaru. He said that Sai showed up at his house and he told Sasuke to hide, but after he got Sai to leave, he realized that Sasuke had left from the back door. Sasuke doesn't have his coat and his phone is either off or dead."

"I'll help you look. How long ago did he leave?" he'd worry later whether the story was true or not, and if Sasuke had really met Sai, and if Orochimaru had forced him to leave and for that matter why Orochimaru had Sasuke's number, but right now it just mattered that Sasuke got back okay.

"No," Naruto said, seeing Itachi standing and also preparing to leave. "Someone needs to stay here with Haku."

"He's your responsibility." Now wasn't the time to argue, his heart starting to pound at the thought of Sasuke frozen out there in the snow, frostbitten and hypothermic. "I have to go get Sasuke, he's my boyfriend!"

"He's my family!" The blond yelled. Naruto's eyebrows were narrowed and his jaw clenched tight, and Itachi froze in the face of it. He lowered his voice to a normal level, but his fierce tone didn't change. "I don't care how much you think you like him, he's my family. Sasuke should be easy to find, he's not stupid, he's probably on his way home, but anyway, if anybody's going out to look for him, it's me." He ran out, leaving Itachi with no choice but to wait.

8

Okay, it was much colder than he'd expected. Sasuke was man enough to admit that this hadn't been his best idea ever. His feet were fine, since he had his thick socks on and his sneakers weren't holey yet, but his thighs felt half-frozen. Denim wasn't the best insulator. On top of that, his sweater wasn't warm after the first layer of snow had landed on him, melted with his body heat, and become damp. His nose was dripping and he shivered every other step, but he was only three streets away from home. His recent lack of exercise was apparent now, because it shouldn't have taken him half as long to get back, and his coordination sucked, too, because this made it the fifth time he'd stumbled. Exercise hadn't been at the top of his list, but he had someone to look good for now. Did Itachi like muscular guys? I'll ask when I get back, he thought. He'd looked behind a couple times and no one was following him, not even the imaginary Juugo, so that's something.

He coughed, lungs aching, and he really hoped it was just temporary. There wasn't time to be sick—finals weren't over yet. Plus he needed to start looking for a job. A real one. He could probably handle more people now. Well, not tons. He sniffled, snot freezing in his nose and thawing when he exhaled. Working at a bookstore would be nice. Not too many people, but working with the public would help him get back to normal. By now, he was shivering almost constantly, and despite the sharp cold he was getting tired. It must be because I haven't exercised in a while, he thought, but once I get a job I'll get a gym membership. Itachi will appreciate that. A bookstore job would be nice, he thought, then realized his thoughts were starting to go in circles.

Not a single bus had passed by the entire time, and few cars either, so while ordinarily he wouldn't notice a car on the road, his eyes perked up at the sound. The car slowed down as it approached him, then pulled sharply into a street just past him. Sasuke shook his head. For a moment he thought he'd recognized the car, but Naruto was at home right now, waiting for him.

He tried to increase his pace, but started coughed again, the cold in his lungs and throat burning. He needed to get home soon. Worry was setting in, distantly, and his fingers, though shoved inside his armpits for warmth, didn't really feel like anything. He just wanted to get back to home. Then he and Naruto and Itachi and Haku could watch movies and drink tea and just be warm on the couch…

The car pulled up next to him, and he definitely recognized it as Naruto's car. Of course, it was cheating to say he knew the car when the man himself stepped out, leaving the flashers on and ignition running. "Are you all right?" It wasn't a real question, just something he had to say. What he meant was, 'what is wrong with you' and 'you had me so worried,' but he was hugging him and patting his cheeks (Sasuke sort of forget he had cheeks) and the blond dragged him into the car, saying something about the doctor.

"No," Sasuke groaned, coughing around it.

"No what?"

"No doctor."

"Sasuke, you're sick. Maybe hypothermic. I don't know. What I do know is that you have no right to say no. This supersedes your hatred of hospitals. Health is more important than comfort."

"Itachi's… a nurse," he choked out.

Naruto frowned. True. And they couldn't really afford the medical bills until his next paycheck came in, so… "Fine. But no arguments. You do whatever he says to the letter. And if he says we need a hospital, I don't care if I have to drag you in kicking and screaming."

"Okay," he tried to say, but it was sort of difficult to get words out with his teeth chattering and lungs coughing, so he nodded, hoping Naruto didn't mistake it for a shiver.

They were home in moments, making Sasuke realize he'd been much closer than he'd realized. Unable to acknowledge much beyond the cold that had seeped into his flesh, Sasuke did not register Itachi's immediate take-charge attitude, sending him into the bathroom with Naruto to help him change from his wet clothes. It was slow, trying to move such frozen limbs, but by the end Sasuke was coherent enough to use the toilet on his own. Naruto exited, confident Sasuke would be fine on his own, since Sasuke had begun to assess… himself, apparently finding no harm done. Naruto made a mental note to check online if it was possible for dicks to freeze and fall off. He shuddered.

By the time Sasuke came back out, Itachi had heated milk with honey and set blankets up, sitting Sasuke in the middle of the couch and handing him the warm red mug. He checked Sasuke again, squeezing his fingertips and patting his cheeks. "There's no frostbite damage and hypothermia shouldn't be a problem. In any case, you need to rehydrate and get your temperature back up. I brought over a couple water bottles, and it looks like dinner is just about ready, nice and hot. Naruto, get in on that side." They squished beneath the blankets on either side of the unresisting Sasuke as he sipped at his hot drink, shivering as he accustomed to their warmth.

Sasuke let the moments pass, awareness increasing. The more he thought about it, it was kind of embarrassing.

Naruto broke the silence first. "Are you alright?"

"Better," he nodded. "How did you know?"

"Orochimaru called." At the reminder, Naruto pulled his phone from the table and texted an update on Sasuke's status to the man. "What happened over there?"

"We were talking…" it'd be better to tell everything, but not all the secrets were his to tell. "He never meant to help Sai, not really, and then when he tried to fix it apparently it got worse, and then Sai showed up at his house right when we were trying to leave." Next to him, Itachi shifted; Sasuke couldn't look at his face, unable to handle an 'I-told-you-so' right now. "I tried to hide, cause I didn't want to see him again, but… well, I thought I saw Juugo again—but I stood up to him this time. I didn't back down. So I left… that part didn't work out so well."

"Sasuke, I'm glad you're safe. This was, er…" Naruto struggled for phrasing other than 'stupid beyond all reason.' "Reckless, but you're safe." He leaned his head on Sasuke's shoulder, attempting to transfer his relief through touch.

"I… I'm sorry." It was only right that he apologize first. The mess from earlier was mostly his fault, anyway. "And I'm sorry for about before, too. I never should have hidden it from you, but the one I am dating is Itachi." Feeling Naruto tense, he wished he hadn't brought it up so soon. "I wanted to wait until I was more secure in our relationship, at least take it slow, but instead I hurt you and I am so sorry."

"You know me—I haven't gotten laid in a few months. Just feeling desperate." He leaned forward, looking at Itachi. "No offense. I really should have noticed, though, looking at it now." He peeked sideways at the other two men on the couch, both heads tilted down to look at their laps. "What's up with Orochimaru, then?"

Itachi explained himself. "Back in high school, he betrayed me and since then, whenever I encounter him, shortly after Sai makes an appearance and whoever I'm dating starts getting pranked. I can't actually prove it—other than that time he tried to follow us home—but I believe that he's been tipping Sai off on new ways to harass me. So when I grew close to Sasuke, and it looked like Orochimaru was taking an interest, I felt I had to warn him. That didn't work out so well."

Sasuke bristled at the accusatory tone. "I was in a tough spot, and he helped me out. I never intentionally broke my promise not to get close to him, and honestly, it didn't seem like he was making any particular advances towards me. He actually warned me about you, Itachi, and said you could cause trouble for me. Then he really helped me, and if that doesn't convince me to give him a chance then today certainly did. From what I heard, he doesn't really like Sai, much, either."

"I can understand that, I guess." Itachi allowed, thinking of what his mother said and objectively listening to Sasuke's words. "Was it that hard to tell me?"

"No, like I said, we just kept getting distracted." Itachi didn't look angry, but he was definitely pouting. "I know that you're not happy about this. There's no way I'm going to cut ties with him, but I can put some distance between us—"

"No." Itachi shook his head. "You said it before. You are an adult and can do as you like. Maybe I was being a bit unreasonable…"

"I'm still not okay with this." Naruto cut in. "Even if the harassment is relatively mild, you have the right to not be harassed. And I need to know if something like that's going on. Not because I'm trying to control you, Sasuke, but because I am your guardian. If anything were to happen to you, that'd be on me, and doubly so because you're my best friend. These sorts of things affect me, too."

"I'm sorry. It just didn't seem that serious. Honest."

"I know you mean well. Really. I know what I'm about to say is going to seem like punishment—" black eyebrows narrowed with suspicion. "However, hear me out. You tell me you've been seeing Juugo in places where it's impossible for him to be, and—and while you may feel that you're fighting this off, the fact is that you are experiencing and interacting with things that are not…" to say 'not real' would belittle him, but he could hardly think of anything else. "Not in this reality. I'm not saying you need meds, but as soon as we can secure an appointment, you will be going to a doctor."

"No!" He slammed his mug down on the coffee table, liquid spilling out the sides. Twisting so he was facing Naruto, he curled his fingers into fists. "I'm fine, honestly, I swear. There's no need for that." Sasuke pleaded desperately. "I'm not crazy!" Itachi's hand was on his shoulder, and he pulled it off and held it beseechingly. "Itachi, tell him."

Naruto shut down the argument before it could properly get started. "It's not for us to decide. This will be for the best, I promise. Just try it. You are my closest friend. My only family." His voice cracked a little. "This is not a discussion. There will be no negotiation."

There was a tremor in Naruto's hand, and Sasuke realized this was not the time to stress him out further. Maybe he could fight it later; perhaps Naruto's resolution would falter when the emotional reaction was further away. This in mind, he did not voice consent. "What about you, though? Can we afford that? It seems like we're in a bit of a financial situation right now."

Naruto rubbed his head, making his spiky hair go in all different directions. "Ah, yeah. I really don't know how much you noticed and what I just think I got away with, but if things had worked out the way I thought they would, you'd have had the best Christmas present ever."

"You mean we're getting a dog?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Maybe I should have tried that. Would have been cheaper, anyhow. No, what I was trying to find was, well," he hesitated again. "I'd been hoping to find our parents."

"Ow."

"Sorry." Sasuke had forgotten he'd been holding Itachi's hand. He released it from his painfully tight grip and faced Naruto once more. "What did you say?"

"I researched as much as I could, though eventually I was forced to hire a guy. Don't get too excited," he advised, noting Sasuke's expression. "It's not really good news."

He shook his head. "That's not it. Just… /_knowing_/. That's… yeah. You know." He smiled painfully wide. "Even if they were psychopathic serial killers, at least I'd know." Eyes shining brightly, he pulled Naruto into an hug. "Thank you," he mumbled into the blond's shoulder. "Thank you, Naru-nii."

The blond chuckled at that and hugged him back. "You sound five years old again."

"You never stopped sounding five years old." He leaned back, self-consciously wiping the corners of his eyes. "…So?" he asked.

"Well, it's not good news, but I can at least say no serial killers. I have the information packets he sent me in my desk, but basically… no. And no."

"Oh." Sasuke exhaled. "I see."

"Sorry, what?" Itachi felt lost.

"Well, the two biggest questions we've always had were, 'are my parents still alive?' and 'why did they abandon me?' But this guy said that both our parents are dead, which sucks for so many reasons, but on the other hand, they didn't abandon us. There was just no one else who could take us."

"Yours, too?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah. A bit complicated, seems like, but my mother was in a car accident and giving birth to me was the last thing she did. There's some conflicting information on who my dad was, because she was always seen with one guy but she had a secret marriage to someone else, but no matter which one is correct, it all means the same thing." He shrugged. "The investigator couldn't find any relatives of any sort from any side. I'm the last, looks like."

"I'm sorry." Sasuke shook his head. "Do you know her name? Are there pictures? What was she like?"

"I've got his whole report in the other room, so I'll show you later. Kushina. Kushina Uzumaki." He blinked slowly, staring at the mug on the table. Eyes flicked to Sasuke after a moment. "Want to know more about yours? It's not pretty."

Sasuke nodded. He'd been waiting for Naruto to offer more. "I never expected much, honestly."

Naruto rubbed at his head, taking a moment to remember. "Your father was a doctor, pretty good, I think, but he committed suicide after a malpractice scandal. You mother was hospitalized for a variety of successive illnesses, culminating in cancer, and she passed away soon after that." He watched Sasuke carefully, surprised that Sasuke was taking it so well. He'd barely kept it together when he'd found out.

"I don't remember any of that." Sasuke shook his head slowly. Not even the faintest wisp of memory seemed anything like what Naruto was saying.

"It's alright. You might remember more later, once you think about it more, but that might just be your mind creatively filling in the gaps. There is a bit of good news, though. My informant located a friend of your mother's and a relative of your father."

"Really?" After this, Sasuke didn't care if Christmas never came again. This was more than enough. His smile was making his face ache but nothing could dull the relief.

"Yeah." Smiling back at him, Naruto felt relieved as well. Reading the report and talking to Orihara hadn't had much of an impact, to the degree that he assumed he'd just been too shocked at finally knowing. The worry was wiped out—sharing this here, with Sasuke, was the reaction he'd wanted. Truly, the only reason finding out meant something was because of the family had now, not the pseudo-perfect setting from his childhood dreams. Sasuke would love this next bit, too. "They seem receptive to the idea of meeting you, too."

Seemingly against the laws of physics, the brunet's face lit up even more, which in itself was its own Christmas present to Naruto. "How can I possibly thank you?"

"Enjoy it. We're best friends." Smiling enough to break his face, he looked away out of embarrassment of all the love directed at him. "You don't owe me anything; I just want you to be happy."

Leaning over, he put his forehead against Naruto's shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered, trying to put all his feeling into it.

Itachi edged away and went to the counters, letting them have a moment of relative privacy. He put together dinner plates and brought them over, and they all ate and chatted pretty normally, working out details of the holidays intermittently—every few moments both Uzumaki relived their mutual relief.

The door opened the down the hallway, and Haku appeared a minute later. He glanced at them all sitting cozily on the couch and failed to hide his jealousy and wanting as he placed his empty mug in the sink. "Come on over," the blond called. "We've got a spot for you right here," patting the half foot of space on his left.

Haku pulled off doubtful and grateful simultaneously, not moving past the counters with typical teenage reluctance for anything deemed too childish. "You can have my seat." Itachi stood, meeting Sasuke's concerned gaze. "I have finals tomorrow. Even I might do poorly if I don't work on it a bit tonight." The corner of Sasuke's lip twitched, a suppressed chuckle at Itachi's egotism. "Make sure to drink plenty of water, Sasuke, and go to ER immediately if you feel worse at all. That said, you should be alright. As far as the whole Orochimaru thing goes, I mean, I'll play nice. On the other hand," he shook his head. "I'll maybe talk to some old contacts at the firm, and see if there's anything to be done about Sai. There must be someone who can make him back off. If he does anything else, well, my father's the last resort," he promised.

"If Sai tries to pull anything, so much as ding-dong-ditches our door, I've got a couple cop buddies who owe me. Now that I know about it," he looked at Sasuke, letting him feel just a bit more guilt for that one, "I can handle it, " the blond declared, the set of his jaw showing no mercy. "Drive safely, and good luck on finals!"

"I'll walk you to the door." Sasuke stood, losing the blanket as he moved.

"No need to get up—you should rest."

"No, I—I want to see if it's still snowing outside."

"Oh." Itachi got it. "Yes. Snow."

Sasuke pulled the blanket over his shoulders and followed Itachi, shifting on his feet as Itachi suited up and pulled out his keys. The younger man looked between the door and Itachi, and Itachi nodded. They stepped out on the porch, closing the door behind them most of the way for privacy. "So it is still snowing."

"Yes." Itachi wasn't looking at the snow, though. "I, um, I'm sorry. I can judge pretty quickly, and since I'm usually right, well—it doesn't excuse my assumptions—"

"It's fine. I'm sorry, too. It wasn't enough to just not lie; I'll be more straightforward and make sure I say what needs to be said. Speaking of," he tugged lightly on the end of Itachi's scarf. "I want you to kiss me."

Itachi smiled and obliged, cradling Sasuke's face with his gloved hands and softly brushing their lips together. He deepened the kiss, sliding a hand behind Sasuke's neck and the other down to the small of his back, moving his lips more firmly and opening his mouth slightly. Sasuke responded with his tongue, clutching the blanket around him still. Their tongues slid together wetly, their kiss deepening in intensity; Sasuke's free hand fell from Itachi's cheek down to his hip and he shivered at he felt the first flare of arousal.

Itachi felt the shiver and ended the kiss quickly. "It's too cold out here. You should go back inside." He didn't let go of Sasuke, instead leaning their foreheads together and closing his eyes.

Sasuke watched the cloudy puffs of his breath get whisked away with the wind. He could hardly feel Itachi beneath his layers of clothing, and the wind ruffled the edges of his blanket, insistently reminding him that he was too cold to be out here.

"I really like you," Itachi said quietly.

"I really like you, too," Sasuke smiled. The small, goofy grin on Itachi's face had his heart pounding all over again. Well, he knew what kind of dreams he was having tonight. "I really should go inside."

"Yes." Itachi released him, looking regretful. "I need to study. Can I see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be studying all morning, but if you get here before two, we'll have more time to hang out." He said meaning fully. "Before Naruto or Haku get back."

"Oh. Yes. I will definitely get done quickly, then." Still smiling, he climbed in his car and left.

Sasuke tried to calm the flushing of his cheeks and, feeling the futility, decided to blame it on the cold whether he was believed or not.

Upon reentering, he saw that Naruto had retrieved his computer and was typing away, checking the textbook lying open next to him frequently. Sasuke grabbed his water bottle from the counter and sat down next to Naruto again. "Are you going to be alright? I thought you were going to take a break."

"I just have to finish this test review," he saved the document and closed the laptop. "But I can finish it during homeroom tomorrow. I'm in the mood for a movie." Sasuke grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels. "Haku? Are you joining us?"

Haku, having waited in the kitchen for Sasuke to come back under the pretense of washing out his teacup, slid over gracefully into the still warm seat on the couch. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably as Haku's wet hair dampened his shoulder. "Is this good?" Sasuke asked, stopping on a comedy that had just begun. The boy nodded, and Naruto put his arms over the back of the couch in a weary stretch.

"It's been so long since we've done this," he said regretfully. Sasuke nodded, leaning into Naruto some, a sort of domino effect with Haku. The blond's stomach twisted as he remembered how much preparation he still needed to do for tomorrow, but quickly decided that whatever tiredness or pain he had to pay later, it would be worth it to extend this warm feeling of family now.

And once the movie was over, they helped the hardly conscious Haku back to his bed, with Sasuke off to dream sweet dreams as Naruto worked late into the night.

888

So that's it for now. After this story, I think I'm taking a break from writing in this fandom (though I definitely want to write more in it!) but there are other fandoms I'm part of that don't have as much fanfiction, and it makes me sad that there just isn't much written for it, or that the stories that are there generally fall into two or three patterns (plus I have like two Viewfinder/Finder Series stories already written and another a third into it. it's going to be epic)

Ahhh it's dinnertime so I'm going to eat (I had like ice cream and candy corn today soooooooo)

any criticism always welcome


	8. Chapter 8

warning! Sometimes the things you write for your characters come true… to you! like I knew already that teaching and then having a second job would be killer, but then that actually happened to me. so be careful what you write, or you'll end up working 12+ hour days, sometimes in a row. also eats up the weekend, so don't even think about catching up on sleep…

anyway, enough complaining. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me so far for your patience, and thank you if you have recently come on board. every review, favorite, or follow warms my heart and pushes me to write my best. If you celebrate thanksgiving, I hope it's a good one! (if not, happy Wednesday)

CHAPTER 8

Pleased with himself and cheerful despite the biting cold air, Itachi inhaled with a grateful look at the sun that warmed his face. Finals were done for the day, and there was the whole weekend to look forward to. Hopefully this would feature some alone time with Sasuke, because it wasn't the same when other people were there. The younger man seemed more relaxed in his own home, and Itachi wanted Sasuke to be comfortable and not feel pressured in any way to do anything, but the clinging awkwardness between himself and Naruto, not to mention the presence of Haku, didn't really build towards a romantic atmosphere. And if Sasuke had no objections, he definitely wanted more of Sasuke; the kiss last night wasn't enough. He hadn't even seen him naked yet, though his imagination helped him take care of the issues that arose each morning after dreaming of what he'd like to do with Sasuke.

Such were his thoughts as he walked to his car. A voice called his name unexpectedly; Orochimaru, cheeks flaming red from the cold, walking as quickly as the icy sidewalk allowed, caught up to him. By caught up to him, Itachi really meant 'stood ten feet away,' and given that Itachi had been rather rude and punched the guy in the face not really that long ago, even ten feet was rather daring. Completely unsure of what to expect and still settling feelings of his own, he nodded a greeting.

"How is Sasuke?" Itachi's eyes narrowed sharply. "He left without telling me," he said, shaking his head slowly. "Honest, I thought he was just hiding in the back room until I could get Sai out of there. I called Naruto as soon as I realized." His breaths puffed out of his mouth like smoke, a dragon all out of fire. "All Naruto texted was that he was found. Is he sick or injured—"

"He's fine." Itachi said curtly, forgetting his resolve to give Orochimaru a chance mere seconds after deciding to do it.

"Oh." Orochimaru looked relieved, and it occurred to Itachi that this man might genuinely care about Sasuke's well being. "I'm glad, then. I kept wishing I'd gotten Sai out sooner, or just ignored the door till he went away—"

"Look," he said, cutting off the other man again, "You two cannot drag Sasuke into whatever problem Sai has with me. He deserves so much better—"

"Yes, he does." Orochimaru frowned. "I warned him not to get mixed up with you, but he said he knew the risks, so I tried to back off. I know you don't believe me, but I helped him. I stopped Sai from getting to him more than once. If you weren't being such an arrogant prick, maybe you'd notice, but I never intentionally aided your half-brother against you. Back in high school, when you betrayed me, yeah, I went to Sai, looking for revenge. I'm not denying I was a petty teenager. But I've grown up since then, and when he comes to me now, ranting about how it must be fate that I keep seeing you and telling me I owe him so I must help him, I've told him I don't care about petty revenge."

Well, there was no way now to prove his statements one way or the other. But betrayal? As in, he thinks that Itachi was the one putting the knife in Orochimaru's back? "Back in high school—"

"It doesn't even matter anymore. Whatever happened, happened. If you can't get over it, then fuck you very much." He gave Itachi an opportunity to contradict him, but Itachi's mouth remained in a tight line. Orochimaru turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Itachi called after him, regretting his childish behavior once again.

Orochimaru turned, a reproachful look on his face. "Finally thought of a comeback?"

He certainly wasn't making this easy. "I'm… that is, I've been judging you based on how you used to be. I didn't give you a chance even though it's been about ten years, and that was wrong of me. I apologize."

"You're sorry?" incredulously, Orochimaru shook his head. "You punched me in the face. Do you know how long that took to heal? How much trouble I had trying to explain it to my stepdad? Only God knows why I didn't press charges, what with Sai urging me to all the while."

The apology wasn't going the way he had expected. "Hitting you might have been a bit much. Though, you couldn't have honestly been expecting me to believe that it was coincidence that you showed up everywhere I went and then my partner was harassed shortly after."

"I'll take responsibility for some of that, sure, I'm not blameless. When I saw how you were with Sasuke that first day, I texted Sai, just like he asked me to. In my defense, I thought he just liked keeping tabs on you cause he's a control freak, and the times that he did act it was all pretty harmless." He slipped off a glove and scratched his arm. "After I got to know Sasuke, I tried to call it off but apparently that didn't work out like I thought… Anyway, point is, you're nowhere near blameless, either."

"I never said I was."

"You apologized for judging me. How about for punching me in the face? Or how horribly you treated your brother? What about how you went behind my back in high school?"

"What are you on? In high school, who was the one left standing alone? I never—" Itachi cut himself off. "Let's just leave whatever happened back then to the past. Call it a mutual fault. I am concerned with what happens now. You followed us home and sent Sai after him, but considering that you've… saved Sasuke," the words carefully monotone, "I feel that for his sake, I should try to make peace."

"Really?" An eyebrow lifted incredulously, he stopped scratching his arm and put his hand back in his glove. "You think a mere apology is going to be enough?"

"No. But it's a start. I just don't want it to be awkward for Sasuke when you guys spend time together. We don't have to be best friends or hang out even, but for his sake, I'll try to get along."

"We used to though," Orochimaru said evenly. "We used to be pretty close. Maybe it was one-sided, but I had a lot of fun, until… never mind. I'm sure with some effort we can make this work. Just… let's operate on tabula rasa, alright?"

"Yeah. I can work with that." Itachi agreed easily, the solution much better than he'd been hoping for. Optimistically, he tried a step further. "Do you want to go for some coffee?"

"Right now?" Orochimaru paused a moment, checked his watch. "My next final starts soon, but I'll get one to go, if you're paying."

The campus coffee was notoriously awful, so they took the short trip over to Moonstags. It was with complete surprise that Itachi found that he had no problem holding a conversation with Orochimaru, easily going from one topic to the next and by the time he dropped Orochimaru back on campus, he remembered all over again how quickly they had become friends in the first place back in high school. Orochimaru was very different than he remembered, but somehow still very much the same.

It was just past noon by this time, and Itachi made plans to eat lunch, submit a final project online, then head over to Sasuke for some alone time before Naruto got back.

888

"Make sure you study hard and enjoy your weekend!" Naruto dismissed his fifth period class, ignoring the complaining grumbles of the apparent contradiction between enjoying the weekend while also studying. Once the classroom was completely clear, Naruto went to his bag and pulled out another energy drink. He grabbed the edge of the desk shakily, breathing deeply, then popped the can open. It was emptied by the time the bell rang to signal the start of the next period, and Naruto tossed the can in the trash as he booted up the ancient school computer.

His original plan had been to nap during his prep period—Gaara agreed to wake him up when the time came—but his students during the first couple periods had pointed out too many issues with the study guide. The mistakes were simple and easy to fix, but they were things he never would have looked past and he been more alert. As soon as he got home, he was going to sleep. Maybe even straight into tomorrow. Right now, however, there was still the rest of the day to get through, and as the caffeine hit him, he powered through the fuzziness in his head and reworked the document.

Upon his return from printing out sufficient copies of the new guide, his heart jumped unpleasantly to see someone sitting at his desk. A dark-haired, pale someone who just yesterday had been an ass to himself and to Sasuke. "What are you doing here?"

True to the little Naruto knew about him—that he was the type to be difficult whenever possible—Sai remained silent and still, staring at Naruto as the blond carefully closed the door. "I asked you a question. If you don't have business here, you need to leave. I don't know how you got permission to enter the school, but I don't have time for you. I have another class coming in soon."

"I don't understand you."

"In ten minutes I have students coming in—"

"Not that." Sai waved his hand dismissively and stood from the desk. "I don't understand *you*. Your words from last time are confusing and don't make sense."

"Tell me what, specifically, you have a problem with, and we can clear this up quickly before my next class starts."

"That is not what I'm here for."

The non-sequitur threw the blond off a bit, but he didn't let it show. He all too casually moved closer to Sai and sat on a student's desk, putting his feet on the chair, leaning his elbows on his knees. "What are you here for then? If you have any intentions toward Sasuke, you should reconsider."

"I couldn't care less about him now. Something else has my attention." Sai's eyes ran the full length of his body, as if undressing him down to his bones. It made him a little uncomfortable, but it couldn't be much clearer what had stolen Sai's attention from plaguing his half-brother and Sasuke. "A proposition." Sai stepped a little closer, heavy winter coat sliding open with his movements and showing his fitted black suit and tight grey button-down. For the first time Naruto noticed the man actually looked quite fit, and his hair was styled today, somehow making his skin look less sickly, a more ordinary sort of pale. He eyes met Sai's again and the man smirked, watching Naruto notice him. "Yes, I think this could work very well. You have much passion, Naruto, and I believe that in certain situations we could be very compatible, given various—"

"You want me to fuck you?" The blond hoped he hadn't said that as loudly as it sounded to his own ears. If anyone in the hallway or the classrooms next door had heard him…

"I dislike playing catcher, but that is more or less my meaning."

"Are you kidding me?"

Sai frowned. "I often hear that question. I assure you, I seldom joke."

"I don't even know where to begin." Naruto laughed humorlessly. "That you think I'm that easy, or that I would want you, or that it's appropriate to come to my workplace—an environment filled with children—to have this discussion. I don't even know what bothers me most."

"I don't think you're easy. I'm willing to pay you."

"Pay? You've got to be fu—"

"You apparently need funds. I'm sure I have enough." Not exactly guilt, but regret of a sort flashed across Naruto's mind. He should have known stealing money from a rich kid would come back around to bite him in the ass. Well, if Sai got his way, something else would be in his ass.

"No. Absolutely not."

"In the past you—"

"The past? First of all, you weren't there. You don't actually know the situation, so regardless of whatever you researched about me, you don't really know. It's all conjecture. Second, that's degrading. To think that I'm that desperate."

"How is it degrading to do something you like doing, and then be rewarded for it? If you do work, you deserve fitting compensation."

"That's…" that's actually a fairly decent argument, Naruto refused to say. Fuckin' lawyers. What kind of law did Sai practice, anyway? "I'll make sure not to take any money from you again."

"Fine." The pale man nodded with satisfaction, adjusting his suit. "If there's another sort of compensation you're more comfortable with, I can accommodate, though I assure you that my participation in the act itself will suffice. We can meet as soon as you get tested. I'll drop my all-clear report in your mailbox this afternoon."

"What? No! I didn't agree to this!" He stood too quickly from the chair, and had to grab hold of the desk as his vision swayed. "I don't know you very well, and the parts of you I do know, I don't like! I don't want a relationship with you. If there's no relationship, then that just makes me a slut, and I'm not that kind of person." Not anymore.

Rather than looking hurt, Sai appeared genuinely amused. "I don't want romance or sentimentality. I want a physical release from stress, and I'm sure you could use the same. Besides, your objections have been defeated; whether you like me or not is irrelevant if we are physically compatible; the only inappropriateness in this conversation have been in your words, not mine; and last, as long as you are clean I could care less if you are a slut or not. In the interactions I intend, the more experience, the better."

Sai waited and watched; Naruto's jaw clenched, his fist tightened to stop his arm muscle from twitching, and he breathed deeply, slowly, eyes closed. Most of the blond's reaction didn't have anything to do with what Sai was saying, rather the fuzziness growing in his brain and the increasing of the muffled sound. He clenched his fists tighter, anchoring himself to the sting of pain as his nails dug into his palms.

"Well," Sai continued, not content to wait for the blond to think it over, "if you still plan to refuse, I should remind you that I know what you have done in the past, and that I can expose you. This would result in punishment, I imagine, though hopefully not in the annulment of your teaching license."

The blond laughed, folding his arms. "You have no evidence. There's nothing to back up what you say, and I'm certain I can prove that you only said such things because you were bitter about being rejected by me."

"There _*is*_ evidence, though, isn't there?" Sai shrugged then, eye contact unwavering. "With a job like yours, proof isn't always necessary. Sometimes, a scandal is enough."

Naruto was enraged… or, rather, he was far too tired to feel really enraged, but he knew how he should be reacting. Mostly he just felt defeated. And dizzy. Sai, on purpose or no, had gone about stirring up things he'd rather not remember, and why now, while he still felt raw from the events of last night… but looking at Sai, maybe it was the fatigue or the copious amounts of caffeine, or the resemblance to Itachi, but Naruto realized he had never intended to say no. "Yeah. Let's do it. I'll call you when I'm ready."

"Good," Sai answered, almost smiling. "Your students will be here soon, I believe. I'll be in touch."

"Sure." It was harder than ever to remain upright, and the fuzziness was almost overtaking his brain now. The very moment Sai shut the door, Naruto moved as if through water to his bag, pulling out his last energy drink. "Oh, shit," he muttered. Had he really gone through them all already? However many that was. With shaking hands he popped the tab and tipped it back, hoping the caffeine would lessen his headache some. A couple sips down, and his chest started to hurt. 'Idiot,' he thought to himself. He should have just let it out last night once he was alone and his boys were sleeping. Now was not the time to break down and cry, he had—looking at the clock—three minutes before the bell rang. Three minutes to pull himself together. Three minutes to…

Oh. Ouch.

With exaggerated care he set the can down on his desk (almost tipping it somehow anyway), took a step away so he wouldn't knock it over, then allowed himself to clutch his stomach and fall to his knees. Cramping and twisting and shifting, his hands moved over his abdomen trying to soothe his stomach and keep it from exploding. Imploding. Combusting. Whatever the fuck it was doing, it needed to stop.

He blinked and the bell was ringing and the door was opening, letting in the sounds of the hallway, but his leg muscles wouldn't straighten enough to stand up. The blood thudding in his ears was growing louder, louder than the students noisily entering the classroom.

He blinked again and the dirty tile floor was against his cheek, coldly refreshing.

He blinked once more and Konohamaru was shaking his shoulder and shouting at him and then his eyelids no longer obeyed him, shutting heavy as concrete slabs.

888

Itachi sighed and dialed the number for Naruto's house. How he had forgotten to get Sasuke's number? Somewhere between all that making out he couldn't find half a moment to get his boyfriend's contact info? Unprecedented, getting so caught up in someone that he forgot such basic things, he berated himself as the phone rang. Sasuke picked up mid-ring, not even allowing Itachi to give a greeting.

"Itachi, come quick. I need you now." Sasuke's tone was urgent, words interrupted by panting breaths.

Raising an eyebrow, Itachi asked seductively, "Did you get started without me?"

"What?" There was a muffled cough from his end of the phone. "Oh! Um, no. Naruto collapsed at school and they took him to the hospital and I don't have the car and the buses will take too long. Can you take me there? Please."

"Shit! I'm so sorry. I'm on my way!" He hung up, having no time to feel a fool, and ran for the door.

The ride to the Uzumaki residence felt three times as long as usual, though really he got there in about half the time. Sasuke was in the driveway waiting, his breaths puffing out in an almost constant stream; he got in the car quickly and directed Itachi to the correct hospital, clutching a bag to his chest as he coughed. His breathing was quick, but Itachi gave him some time to calm down as either it wasn't leading to an anxiety attack or Sasuke really was deflating the panic on his own.

Either way, within moments Sasuke seemed much calmer, though concern was understandably forefront on his mind. Concern shifting to the other half of the Uzumaki pair, he inquired, "Is he alright?"

"Gaara said it was a combination of exhaustion, not sleeping and too many energy drinks. Still…" Sasuke chewed his lip viciously and his hands fiddled with the straps of the bag. "I thought he was at least sleeping. And what if it's worse than that? I mean, they brought him to the hospital."

Carefully keeping his voice even, he placed a steadying hand on Sasuke's arm. "If he collapsed at school, then they probably had to take him in, even if he protested. Knowing him, he probably did. It's probably just procedure."

Sasuke nodded, but it was difficult to tell if it was in agreement or acknowledgement that he heard the words. "What's in the bag?" Asking fact-based questions should help distract Sasuke's mind from worry.

"Change of clothes. If he has to stay overnight, he's going to want his sweatpants." He leaned away from Itachi and coughed into his elbow. Clearing his throat, he shook his as he continued. "After all that yesterday… to think he was this bad off. How'd I miss it?"

"There was quite a bit going on yesterday for everyone, and besides, he was hiding it really well probably because he didn't want you to worry. Except that goes against pretty much everything he said to you about withholding… or maybe he thought he could last until the break. There's only a couple days left, so…" he shrugged, frustrated as well. "We're almost there."

"Yeah. I'm going to try calling Neji again." He pulled his phone out and started calling. I called him first to come pick me up, but he didn't answer. Lucky you called then—hey Neji, it's alright, I got a ride with Itachi," he said into the phone. "Yeah. Yeah, probably. Can you pick up Haku on your way over? Yup, the high school. Thanks. We're not there just yet, but I'll text you the number. Alright. Bye."

Itachi pulled into the parking lot, letting Sasuke off at the door. By the time he got inside, he had to nearly run to catch up to Sasuke, spotting his faded orange coat at the elevator. "What'd the nurse say?"

"He's in room 394." He jabbed his thumb at the elevator button, then pressed it again twice before the doors finally opened. He coughed into his elbow, using his other hand to press the appropriate floor button. Unsure how to comfort Sasuke, Itachi silently stood at his side.

Even before they got to the room, through the open door they could hear laughter. "Only if it's chocolate, I got it," said an unfamiliar male voice. Sasuke almost bumped into the nurse walking out the door, a tall, dark, smiling man. "Oh, sorry. You're his son, aren't you?" the man asked. "He told me to look out for you."

Sasuke frowned. "Is he—"

"Oh come on, Sasuke, smile. I'm fine." The blond called Sasuke into the room, looking not so fine, but he was sitting up and smiling brightly. "Do you want a pudding, too?"

Sasuke shook his head, annoyance usurping his initial relief. "No, thank you." The nurse smirked and left, infected by Naruto's cheerfulness.

"They're bringing me pudding, Sasuke. This place is wonderful." He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back, giving the TV a look. "The channel options suck, sure, but the eye candy is worth it. Did you see my nurse? Wonder if he's a back door bandit. What's in the bag?" He finally noticed that Sasuke was carrying something. He gave a small wave to Itachi, encouraging him to come in further than the doorway.

The brunet tossed the bag on Naruto's lap, sitting on the side of the bed. "Your sweatpants, change of clothes in case they make you stay overnight, the essentials."

"Essentials indeed," Naruto remarked, pulling out a few DVD cases. "Is the DVD player hooked up?" Itachi confirmed that it was, and Naruto spent the next couple minutes deciding between the Browncoats or the Rebellion. His running commentary on the pros and cons of each didn't look like it was going to deter Sasuke for very long.

Wondering if perhaps the two wanted to talk these issues out by themselves, Itachi decided to give them some privacy. "I'm going to check out the cafeteria. Anybody want anything?"

"I'll take a red bull." Two pairs of eyes glared at Naruto. "Damn, you guys have no sense of humor."

"Well it would probably be funnier if you weren't in a hospital, dumbass."

"Don't call me dumbass, pipsqueak."

"Then don't act like one!" Sasuke's voice cracked with frustration. Itachi quickly made his exit, shutting the door out of courtesy for the other patients.

He wandered around a bit, but mostly he was in the way. He nearly got knocked over several times, the last by a young woman—no, woops, man—with very long hair, and a moment later, by a person he thought was Haku but was moving too quickly to call back to find out. Itachi touched his own hair, remembering that he needed a haircut. His split ends were getting out of hand, especially with this weather. Then again, Sasuke really seemed to like his longer hair, so he didn't want it any shorter than it was... Well, the middle of the hallway wasn't really the place to angst over his hair care decisions. To the cafeteria he went.

Not much of a cafeteria, really, just some vending machines and tables with chairs. There were only two other people here, both sitting by themselves in opposite corners and reading intently. So as not to disturb them by talking on the phone, he texted Kisame the change in plans. They'd have to go to the gym tomorrow evening, as he had no guarantee how long he'd be here.

One of the room's other occupants, sweatshirt man from the right corner, moved clumsily to one of the machines, tripping over a chair and bumping into a table over the short distance. Concerned, Itachi watched the man walk as if drunk. The coins clinked into the machine one by one, and a bony finger jabbed the water button several times. "Dammit." His fist hit the machine with no effect.

"I've got some change, if you need it," Itachi offered.

"Yeah, thanks," he turned, saw Itachi, and immediately turned around again. "Actually, no thanks, I'm good." His voice suddenly sounded different, but he was much too late.

"Nagato?" Itachi stood. He moved to the man before he could try to escape. "Nagato? I know it's you. How have you been? I haven't seen you since high school."

Reluctantly, the man faced Itachi again, slumping against the machine. "Fine. It's me. What do you want?"

Itachi took in the sight of his oldest friend; bones prominent, eyes tired, body hunched over. "What's wrong?"

"I'm in a hospital. You figure it out." The response was unexpectedly bitter, surprising Itachi. "I'm sick," he said less testily. "Really sick. Why else would I be in a hospital?"

"Sit down with me." Nagato raised a thin eyebrow. "Please," Itachi amended.

"Buy my drink first." He walked back to his table, and Itachi followed. Putting the drink on the table, he watched Nagato struggle with the cap and slowly sip at it. "You've stared enough. It's game time. What's your best guess, nurse?"

The flippancy was new, too. The difference from the vibrant, idealistic young boy he'd known last and this man, practically old, sitting bitter and uncaring in front of him… "What happened? Last I saw you, you were going to school abroad."

"Oh yes." Something like a smile came onto his face then. "Grandmother finally paid attention to me, and I thought it was worth it. Second year of college—let's see, I took an extra year to get used to the language, but I still graduated early, so… I think four years after I saw you last, both my grandmother and uncle died within weeks of each other." What had been a grin was a grimace now. "She couldn't handle seeing the last of her children die. I think it broke her." He shrugged, taking a few more slow sips of water. "No reason to stay there, but as I was getting ready to move back here—cause I figured at least here I have friends—I found out I was sick. I stayed there for a while, tried out their doctors… well, they say the same thing here. Turns out that the doctor can't be blamed for why I'm not getting better."

He stared at Itachi carefully, gauging his reaction. More like non-reaction. "You were my friend the longest, and you're not reacting at all. I'm telling you I'm dying. I've got weeks. Maybe." He shrugged.

"But... this…" Nothing else would come out of his mouth.

"Actually, I like this. I finally found a way to get you speechless." He smirked. "Anyhow, I've been on Bookface. I know you've left the firm or whatever, and knowing you, you've probably spent too much and are running low on funds. I'd love to leave you something, but the thing is, I've already promised all my money to someone. Anyway, if there's any memento of our childhood you want I'll make sure it gets to you." His hand shot to his side as his eyes screwed shut. The moment passed and he relaxed only to cough hard enough to shake his whole body. "Better decide quickly, though," he said bitterly, clearing his throat with another sip of water.

Itachi still couldn't gather himself to speak. Nagato certainly didn't seem to mind. "You know, I really thought I was getting better. You wouldn't believe it, but two weeks ago, I was. Turns out I'm not the last. Here I was thinking that I'm the last Namikaze, and out of nowhere, some guy starts chatting me up, claiming that I've got a relative. Cousin or some shit, but it'd be nice to have somebody. It seemed too good to be true." His trembling hands dropped the bottle. It rolled under Itachi's chair, and unconsciously he picked it up and handed it to back to its owner. "Well, it is too good to be true. Next day, doctor says to settle my affairs. It's just a countdown now."

Distantly, a connection fired in Itachi's mind, but he was far too overwhelmed by Nagato's mortality to acknowledge it. And with the man himself so uncaring... the situation couldn't be that hopeless, surely… there must be something that could be done. Why would they find each other again, after all this time and across the distance, for such a brief reunion?

"Itachi?" Nagato's face closed off again, both men turning to the doorway. Sasuke was there, with two heads peeking around the doorway behind him.

Trying to come back after Nagato's revelation, he shook his head. "Did you guys get kicked out?"

Sasuke walked further into the room, standing by the table and giving Itachi's seatmate a nod of greeting. "Yeah. Naruto's principal showed up, so… We didn't really want to be there for that conversation. Anyway, we're getting ready to leave pretty soon. You can stay if you need to." He put his hands up apologetically.

"No, I wasn't really supposed to leave my room in the first place. Or have visitors." Nagato was standing, glancing at the doorway. "My nurse just walked by again. I keep escaping, so they're not very happy with me." He clumsily dodged around Sasuke and his two tag-alongs, looking up and down the hallway before choosing the left.

"Wait!" Itachi said. Nagato turned and waited in the doorway, but Itachi couldn't think of anything to say.

"It's okay. I'll have somebody email you when the time comes. I'd really rather be alone now, though. So don't try to find me." Somehow moving rather quickly, he disappeared.

"Who was that?" Haku asked, staring at the empty space where Nagato had been. His eyebrows pulled together and the boy shivered. "He doesn't look so good. He's… not going to be okay, is he?" Itachi's head jerked toward Haku, pupils widening slightly. Hearing those words aloud again so soon was bringing on a migraine.

"He's in the hospital to get treatment, so I'm sure he'll be alright. And don't be rude." Neji admonished the boy. Haku rolled his eyes.

Itachi shook his head again, still trying to grasp the idea. Nagato would soon… Sasuke held his elbow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. He was one of my childhood friends, though I haven't seen him in years. He's… very different now," he managed. Later on there'd be time for research and phone calls and testing connections but here and now Sasuke was standing next to him with those dark eyes focused on the crease between Itachi's eyebrows. Sasuke has to worry about without adding me to the list, too, he thought, and put all thoughts of Nagato aside for now.

Something still felt off, but it seemed like Itachi wanted some time to think it over. "Oh, right, so this is my friend Neji. Neji, this is my boyfriend, Itachi."

They shook hands, and Neji smiled. Relaxing a breath he hadn't known he was holding, Itachi smiled as well. "You've been a very good influence on him. Please continue to take care of him."

"Sasuke has been just as much a help to me." Sasuke's ears went red. He absently continued poking all the buttons on the vending machine to see if something would come out. "I really care about him." He looked over at Sasuke, smiling, and Sasuke looked at him over his shoulder, smiling shyly back.

"If you guys are going to get all lovey-dovey, I'm leaving." Haku walked out.

"Hey!" Neji and Sasuke immediately started following. "We can't just let you run loose, you know."

Itachi fell into step behind them as they went back to Naruto's room. It was silent inside, which was strange, but the blond was probably just watching a movie or something. The opened the door, entering all at once, thus clogging the doorway and making it impossible to turn around when they realized Principal B was still in the room, having a stare down with Naruto.

"Well?" B asked, arms crossed and frowning.

"I said no." Naruto replied stubbornly.

"Did I begin this conversation with 'if it please your highness?" Naruto opened his mouth, then wisely closed it, pouting. "There's not that many days left before the break. Sabaku said he'll have no problem taking over your classes, so you have no reason not to take a break. This isn't a request, it's an order." He moved for the door, and the four men parted to let him through. He gave Sasuke a curt nod on his way out.

They stood there, not saying anything, shuffling feet and inspecting the walls, and Naruto sat there, glaring at the ceiling, not willing to say anything either. A few moments passed.

"Well, um, so how are you feeling?" Neji asked.

"I'm fine." The blond answered. He didn't uncross his arms, but he leaned back into the pillows. "Thanks for coming. How are classes going?"

"Alright. Are you feeling any better yet?"

"If you're saying 'alright' what you mean is straight A's, yeah?" He rubbed at his eyes dramatically. "How'd I manage to surround myself with overachievers? Everyone here has skipped at least one grade, and Haku, the only things you fail at are the ones that you don't even bother with. Or we can sign you up with a tutor if you need it. Speaking of tutors, Neji, how'd it go with that girl?"

"What about you?" Neji deflected. "How'd you get so bad you ended up here?"

Gaze hardening, Naruto shrugged. "This and that. Nothing to worry about."

The other four men in the room looked around, taking in their location. Naruto cleared his throat. "B is just overreacting. Everyone is, really. Hospitals are for sick people, and I'm not sick."

"You're a bit sick in the head, dumbass."

"I want to know if I have to stay here or if I can leave," Naruto pointedly ignored Sasuke's sass, instead directing his question to Itachi. "Can I check myself out?"

"Talk with your physician first," Itachi advised. "Don't tell them I said you could or anything—my education in the medical field is largely theoretical. I've got zero pull here."

Pressing the call button, Naruto pulled a face. "Well, whatever. He never came back with my pudding. What's the plan for you guys?"

"I texted Gaara, and he said he'll drive your car back as long as he can get dropped off at his house after," Neji relayed, reading the texts from his phone.

"That's fine, I can drop him off when we get back. I didn't know you two were talking again, though." Neji shrugged, and Sasuke continued. "Anyway, even if they let you loose, you need to rest. And we have finals to study for."

"Yeah. Even geniuses need to study. When we get back though, Haku, you need to call Asuma and talk with him. You don't have to go back just yet," he assured at the uncomfortable look on the boy's face, "but you should sort things out with him. Text him. Email him, if you have to."

The nurse returned, chasing everyone out with the exception of Sasuke. Speaking primarily to Sasuke, the nurse gave him directions regarding hydration, nutrition, and warning signs if Naruto needed to be brought back. He finished his lecture by handing Naruto a take-home sheet with the information he'd just given Sasuke, handing it over to the blond (and Sasuke didn't miss the hushed whisper of "in about forty-eight hours we'll let you know," though Sasuke decided to wait till later to confront Naruto about that). Within ten minutes Naruto had completed the necessary paperwork and gathered his belongings, moving slowly but with determination.

Gaara beat them back to the house, his bright red hair almost a holiday decoration amongst all the snow. After Naruto was settled into his bed and sleeping for real this time, with Haku reading quietly and watching over him to make sure, Neji prepared for departure. "It was nice to meet you, Itachi. Hopefully I'll see you soon, in better circumstances. Are you helping out with any of the Christmas events with the Home?"

"We haven't really talked about it yet, but I'm definitely interested."

"Good." Neji started to say something, checked that Sasuke was still in the other room convincing Naruto to put away his laptop to sleep, and began again in a low voice. "I know this is usually the part where I threaten you if you ever hurt him, but I know he can defend himself if need be. He's much stronger than he was before. Plus, you've really been good for him." Slowly, he tugged on his gloves, holding Itachi's gaze with his pale, pale eyes. "Sasuke actually hugged me, and that's not something that happened often even before he came out, but he barely touched anybody after he dated the first asshole. Just… don't push him too far, alright?"

"Not too worry. I'm perfectly content to go at his pace." The shook hands and Neji left, Itachi preparing to leave as well. Sasuke came into the living room sighing, Haku just behind holding Naruto's laptop.

"Well, we have his work hostage, so even he should be sleeping pretty soon. Now's a good chance to email Asuma, anyhow." Haku nodded and complied as slowly and reluctantly as he could. "Where's Gaara? I still need to drive him home."

"Bathroom." Itachi tied his scarf, finally deciding to just ask already. "So, would you want to go out tomorrow? I know you have to study, but maybe you'd have time for a movie?"

Sasuke's face lit up. "Yeah! Yes. I definitely want that. There isn't anything in particular I do or don't want to see, so I'm fine with whatever you want."

"Can I come, too?" Haku asked, looking up from the computer. The angle of the light from the laptop made his eyes look bigger and his skin white like a little ghost.

Sasuke shared a look with Itachi. "Um, can we take you next time? You need to study too, right?"

Haku looked to the side as he spoke. "I was just thinking that maybe if you got to know Zabuza better, than you'd like him more."

"Oh. Like a double date?" On the one hand, Sasuke really, really wanted to spend time with just Itachi, and also for their first proper date together he'd rather it just be the two of them. On the other hand, Haku looked pretty lonely. This close to Christmas, and Sasuke knew he wouldn't have enough money to buy Haku a present even after his paycheck from the art class, but he could at least give Haku an afternoon. "Itachi, what do you think?"

Correctly reading the way Sasuke teeth sunk into his bottom lip, Itachi agreed. "I don't mind if you don't. Besides, it'll clear the house so Naruto can rest." Sasuke nodded, and Itachi promised to call tomorrow with the details, prompting them both to take out their phones and exchange contact information. "Speaking of, I can't believe I didn't get your number until now."

"Me, neither," Sasuke said. "I kept meaning to ask, but we always got sidetracked. I mean, I haven't had your phone number but you've already sucked my—"

"Please do not finish that sentence." Gaara said. "I am not a fan of over sharing."

Sasuke coughed, a bit embarrassed. Apparently his brain-mouth filters shut off when he got tired. "So I'll see you tomorrow, then." He gave Itachi a quick hug and they exited, Itachi for home and Sasuke to drop off Gaara.

888

So… yeah. I really hope it's been worth the wait. I've (yet again) reworked the plan for chapters, but it should be pretty set by now and since I skipped nanowrimo all my writing energy/time/mojo is going into finishing this story

Anyway, work in a few hours so sleeping now! good night/morning!


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